Children of the Skyking
by Gweniveve Skyes
Summary: The Tao Empire has invaded, conquering all in its wake in the name of the Tao Emperors, Reshiram and Zekrom. The Skyking, Rayquaza, has fled, leaving his people without hope. Amidst the chaos, a slave rises up to reclaim his father's estate, changing the world and everything they knew about it. . .
1. Character Cast

Children of The Sky King

Y**ou would think that despite having two unfinished stories, I would not begin writing a third, but when inspiration literally strikes you in a dream, you should definitely go through with it. This story is a sweeping epic that takes place in a world based upon the various regions of the Pokemon world, where Legendaries rule as god-kings and it is possible for one person to make a difference. Inspiration come from the movie "Gladiator", the story of Spartacus, the tale of Saint Joan of Arc, with a touch of Game of Thrones and the **_**Minotaur Wars**_** by Richard Knaak.**

** Note: There is somewhat heavy violence, mentions of slavery, torture and alcohol. It can be dark at times, so be warned.**

** For sanity's sake, well, mostly mine, this "prologue" is actually a cast list, with a minor description of sorts. Some characters that appear in later chapters will not be on the list, because they would become spoiler alerts if they were on here. If this sort of chapter turns out to be "illegal", then the characters will be introduced at the end of each chapter, for sanity's sake :)**

**Characters:**

Rayquaza: The Sky King and ruler over the Sky Kingdom.

Reshiram: The Emperor of Fire and one of the three Tao Emperors of the Tao Empire.

Zekrom: The Emperor of Thunder and one of the three Tao Emperors of the Tao Empire.

Kyurem: The Emperor of Frost and one of the three Tao Emperors of the Tao Empire. Currently missing.

Kephra Longspear Vulkanus(blaziken): Protagonist of the story.

Akhom Vulkanus (blaziken): Kephra's father

Akhum Vulkanus(blaziken): Kephra's oldest brother.

Ezra Vulkanus(blaziken) : Kephra's older brother.

Serena Vulkanus (blaziken): Kephra's mother.

Kara Vulkanus (combusken): Kephra's younger sister.

Micah Aurum(raichu): Kephra's friend and merchant.

General Tamar Imasu(samurott): High General of the Sky Kingdom's armies.

Rain Imasu (lucario): Adopted daughter of General Imasu. Runs a spy network.

Commander Kratch (fearow): Second in command to General Imasu.

Rei (honchkrow): Runs a thieves guild of sorts. Works with/for Rain.

Nimblefingers(sableye): Cleaning girl in the Tao Emperor's home. Spies for Rain.

Pott(murkrow): One of Rei's followers. Helps Nimblefingers with her spying. Kettel's brother

Kettel(murkrow): One of Rei's followers. Helps Nimblefingers. Pott's brother.

Merro(slowking): Current Steward of the Sky Kingdom

Viiker(volcorona): The High Magistrate of the Tao Empire. Works for the Tao Emperors.

General Rufus Tiber(emboar): Commanding general of the Tao army.

Siegfried(alakazam): General Rufus' personal alchemist and teleportist.

Ransee(sawsbuck): High priest of the Blossom Temple.

Willow(wartortle): Ransee's assistant.

Tarroq(salamence): Gladiator slave in the Tao capital's coliseum.

Merrik(servine): Gladiator slave in the Tao capital's coliseum.

Kitt (marowak): Gladiator slave in the Tao capital's coliseum.

Xerax(aggron): Gladiator slave in the coliseum. Azro's adopted brother.

Azro(ferilgatr): Gladiator slave. Xarax's adopted brother.

Cura(nidoking): Slave master of the arena and former soldier

Nico (zangoose): Cura's assistant

Savro(Zoroark): A slave owner.


	2. Prologue

_ The story of the Sky King can be traced back to the birth of the All-Father, who molded the world in his image and breathed life into the Legendaries, his children. Some become primordial forces of nature, gods in their own right, their spirits apparent in the darkest depths of the seas or in the highest of mountains. Other Legendaries gave the breath of life to the mortals, cloaking the earth in life. Others became mighty warriors and sages, imbuing the land with moral lessons and tales, teaching right from wrong. Others gave emotion and knowledge and willpower._

_ And others, well, others became god-kings._

_ Rayquaza was one of the god-kings, ruling over a massive continent known as the Sky Kingdom; however, the continent was shared by a second kingdom, one known as the Tao Empire on the eastern side, a massive mountain range running down the middle. The two kingdoms lived in relative peace with each other, with the occasional border dispute buried deep within the mountains._

_ Life was good for those of the Sky Kingdom; Rayquaza was a kind and generous ruler, noble and just, a harbinger of peace. He ruled through his vassals, noblemen and women who owned land in his name. Thus had been the way for many years, and the Kingdom flourished under his rule._

_ But then,things changed ._

_ The Tao Empire was ruled by three kings: Reshiram, master of fire; Zekrom, ruler of lightning; and Kyurem, lord of frost. They ruled peacefully, though not near as fruitful as the Sky Kingdom. Then Kyurem, the peacemaker between Reshiram and Zekrom disappeared. There was a sudden power vacuum, the two dragons now jockeying for power and for a period of time, there was minor civil war. But suddenly, it ceased and the two brothers, much more warlike than Kyurem, turned their eyes to the fertile region of the Sky Kingdom._

_ Rayquaza did not see it coming. Hundreds upon hundreds of Tao soldiers, thousands of them wearing the distinctive black and white tabards of their rulers. They overwhelmed the historic fortress that signaled the boundary of the two kingdoms in the Sylph mountain pass. They marched their way down the mountains, taking over estates and cities, the Sky Kingdom's soldiers unable to truly fight back._

_ Then, Rayquaza disappeared as well, leaving his kingdom at the mercy of the Tao soldiers._

_ Some guessed he was killed, others suggested that he was paid off somehow to allow the Tao kings to take over his kingdom._

_ Either way, we have nothing left._

_ The Sky Kingdom was once my home. My father had an estate nestled in a small mountain valley near the central part of the Kingdom. He ran a winery, with grape fields as far as the eye could see. We were wealthy, I guess, but it wasn't like we flaunted it. My mother and sister provided meals to Father's workers and gave medical care to those who were injured. The workers and those who lived near us were like family._

_ But then that all changed, when the Black and Whites came in, changing every thing that I knew about life and those around me. _

_ I don't think it was for the better either._

_ I hope that someday Rayquaza, the Skyking can come home again, and bring back peace to our chaotic war torn lands. For now though, now it falls in our hands. We must be the change we wish to see, we must be the hand that guides the sword, the shield and eventually, the quill to pen the peace treaty. I pray that day comes soon._

_ My name is Kephra Vulkanus Longspear, also known as Firescar. _

_ And this is my story, my life. Should I die before the end of the war, I can at least write this, to give others hope that yes, peace once reigned and it could reign again, if we choose to let it be so._

_ Until then, I take up my spear and fight for my king, so I am not just a vassal of the Sky King, I am his child._

_ I _am_ one of the Children of the Sky King._

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_The sun seemed to pound down upon them as they patrolled the fields. They rode Rapidashes, whom did not mind their riders, as they went down the main path. The soft rolling mountains were off to the north of them, their green tops seeming more lush than ever despite the oppressive heat. The riders were blazikens, identified by their distinctive beige crest feathers and fiery wrists. The oldest of them wore a deep blue vest, trimmed and embroidered with gold thread. He wore flowing tan pants,tied with a red sash, while a curved sword rested at his side. His crest feathers were clipped shorter than the others, while the feathers lining his face looked to be longer on average, the once bright red duller with age, graying at the tips. His eyes, a crisp blue the same hue as the sky above, were still as sharp as ever, even if crow lines radiated from the corners._

_ The second one, who looked like his oldest son, rode next to him, taking note of everything his father did. He wore an outfit similar to his father's, with a green vest rather than a blue one. He too, carried a sword. The third blaziken was wearing a set of white robes with golden thread on the edges. He did not ride a Rapidash, preferring to walk alongside, his long limbs keeping up. He was training to be a priest of Arceus, an acolyte of the All-Father. The fourth looked to be the youngest of them all, also walking, with softer features and longer crest feathers then his brothers. He wore no vest; instead he wore what looked to be akin to a kilt, with the familial colors of deep blue, pale gold and blood red in a plaid like pattern._

_ The oldest one reached over and plucked a leaf off of one of the grape vines, feeling it under his neatly trimmed claws. The leaf was dray and crumbled under his scrutiny. "The sun will bake the crop if we don't get rain soon," he said._

_ "The rains will come father," his oldest son reassured him._

_ "Akhum, you are too optimistic," the father, Akhom, laughed sardonically. "Yes the rains will come, but not soon enough. The crops have been poor since the Skyking fled. Thankfully, the sales of our older wines have made up for this."_

_ "If you were to ask me," Akhom's Rapidash, Asmos, interjected. "The wines will be much better this year than have in the past few years."_

_ "It would seem that everyone is trying to reassure me," Akhom held up his hands in mock surrender. "Very well, I give in. The wines will be delicious this year and the rains will be perfect and arrive in time."_

_ The second oldest son, Ezra, pointed east suddenly. "Father, what is that?" he asked, pointing to a plume of dust some distance away._

_ "Some of our soldiers?" Kephra offered._

_ "Don't be silly," Akhum scoffed. "The Tao soldiers aren't even supposed to be anywhere near here, so why would the Sky soldiers go through here?"_

_ "Akhum, mind your tongue," Akhom rebuked. Akhum bowed his head, chagrined. "According to the reports, the Tao soldiers were miles away, avoiding the area completely until they subjugated the north." He urged Asmos forward and his sons followed, curious and apprehensive. Their father was suddenly on edge and they wanted to know why. He stopped though, consternation crossing his features, emphasizing the lines around his eyes and beak._

_ He turned to his youngest, Kephra. He had recently evolved, a source of joyous celebration for the family. His heart dropped, knowing exactly what was to happen, even though he fought to hide it on his visage._

_ "Kephra, go home and warn mother."_

_ "What?" he was confused and frightened by his father's sudden change in mood._

_ "Kephra,go home." he ordered. "Now."_

_ He nodded. "Yes father." he turned away from the party and began to run back, down the trail and back towards the family home._

_ Kephra ran for a while, but then stopped suddenly, deciding to hide among the grape vines, watching his father. It couldn't be anything bad, right? Father did say that the Tao soldiers were supposed to be miles away. He crouched down, hiding among the vines, waiting and praying to the All-Father._

_ Meanwhile, Akhom turned to his other two sons. "Let us go greet our guests, shall we?" his hand impulsively went to the heavy curved sword at his side, a tide-over from when he campaigned against sea pirates when he was younger._

_ A large retinue appeared on the horizon, no longer obscured by the dust they churned up. They were about fifty of them, dressed in armor, their tabards dirtied by the dusty road. Behind them was a litter, veiled in silks and carried by four rhydon. The leader of the troop was a nidoking, his left ear heavily notched and a ugly, puckered scar over his left eye. He was heavily armored and carried a scroll of parchment paper in one hand._

_ "Are you Akhom Vulkanus, of the Vulkanus estate?" he asked gruffly, his voice reminding Kephra of gargling rocks._

_ "Indeed I am," Akhom replied. "And what business do you have with me?" _

_ The nidoking cleared his throat and unfurled the scroll. He began to read: "By the order of the Emperor of Fire and the Emperor of Thunder, the lands held by the Vulkanus clan are to be seceded to its new owner, as the land is now under the rule of the Tao Empire."_

_ Akhum sputtered in rage, embers alight in his mouth and nostrils. "That cannot be! These lands have been in our family since, since the inception of the Sky Kingdom, maybe even before that!-"_

_ His father placed a hand on Akhum's shoulder, the other clenching the hilt of his weapon tightly. "Enough Akhum, " he warned. He turned to the nidoking, looking down at him. " I was not aware of the Tao Empire penetrating this far into the heartlands of the country." he said coolly. "and who is to be the new lord of the estate, anyway?"_

_ The nidoking gestured back to the litter and the emerald, serpentine head of a serperior poked out from the silk screenings of the litter. Akhom smirked at the fact the the serperior was overweight, judging by the jowls around the serpent pokemon's face. "He is Lord Berot, the newly appointed master and lord of Vulkanus estate."_

_ "Yes, and if you would get these "Sky" barbarians off my land, it would be most appreciated." the serperior sneered. _

_ The nidoking nodded. "Yes, we have. Now if you would so kindly evacuate your family and your valuables for the new lord of the estate."_

_ Ezra, the acolyte of the All-Father, turned to Akhom in alarm. "Father!" he said in a panic._

_ Akhom's face grew dark and small embers flickered and danced on his wrists. "I will not stand by to be forcibly evacuated from my home!"_

_ "You have no choice in the matter," the nidoking snarled._

_ Akhom got off the rapidash and stared the nidoking down, hands at his side, his right threatening to pull his sword out of the scabbard. "I very much so have a choice in the matter." Akhom said, the flames on his wrists growing ever so brighter, until they were blazing infernos in their own right. The air seemed hazy around Akhom as heat radiated off of him in wave._

_ Suddenly, Lord Berot, the overweight serperior, shrieked: "He's got a sword!" His chubby tail poked out from the silk screenings and pointed at Akhom's weapon. "He's got a swooooord!" he wailed._

_ Kephra wasn't sure what happened next, as the scene erupted into chaos. Akhom and his oldest brother pulled out their weapons and waded into the midst of the Tao troop, their heavy weapons slashing up and down, like the farmers in the field would do with their scythes when cutting down the harvest. The rapidashes joined in the fight, the horseshoes on their hooves flashing in the hot midsummer sun. Akhom managed to strike heavy blows with his weapon, the years of campaigning against the pirates resurfacing as he fought. Blood flew in the air in droplets as Akhom mowed the Tao soldiers. Eventually though, he grew exhausted due to age and was captured, tied up, his hands behind him. Akhum was lost amidst the chaos and Ezra, Kephra didn't know what happened to Ezra. As per the policy of the priests of the All-Father, fighting was banned, but they could defend themselves when needed._

_ "Burn them!" Lord Berot shrieked. "Kill them! Get them off my property!"_

"But it isn't yours,"_ Kephra was tempted to scream, but chose not to, for fear of being discovered._

_ One of the Tao soldiers, a rhyperior, managed to find a pair of thick stakes that had been left over from Kephra's evolution celebration, nearly fifteen feet long and a foot in diameter. The Tao soldiers that were still living helped hammer the stakes into the ground. Some of the other Tao soldiers found dried brush and kindling._

_ Kephra watched in horror as they managed to drag his father-who was still managing to put up a fight—and forcibly tie him to the stake. They did the same with Akhum, though the oldest son did not nearly put up a fight, for he was unconscious, blood dripping steadily from a cut on his head. He still could not find his brother, Ezra._

_ He did have to look to know what was going to happen. He did not need to, for the fires were etched permanently in his memory._

_ He ran._

_ He ran as fast as he could, tears streaming from his eyes. Why did his father had to do that? Why did he have to be so stubborn? Now, now it was his duty to warn mother and Kara, his younger sister of the impeding danger. He had to warn the workers and their families that were living on the estate as well, their livelihoods now utterly destroyed by the actions of some far away Emperors._

_ He pedaled to a stop on top of a hill when he saw his family home, now up in flames. He could see his mother, Selena, putting up a fight against the leering Tao soldiers as they dragged her away. He could see Kara, still only a combusken, trying vainly to put up a struggle against the soldiers, but not until one struck her in the back of the head, driving her to the ground._

_ "Nooooo!" Kephra screamed, his voice rising over the sounds of burning wood and stone, drawing the attention of one of the nearby Tao soldiers. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"_

_ He could not remember what happened next._

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Lord Berot's name is pronounced " Ber-o" like the wine "merlot", the 't' is silent.**

**There are a couple of things to note in the story. The Legendaries are worshiped as gods, with priests and temples and what not; however only the priests are allowed to call the Legendaries by their names, i.e, Arceus, Dialga, Meloetta, etc. The casual worshiper uses their titles, which have been provided for you (The ones bunched together are the ones usually related to each other somehow):**

**The All-Father/The Creator: Arceus.**

**The All-Mother/Giver of Life: Mew **

**Distortion Lord/ The Judge/The Prince of Shadows: Giratina**

**The Time Keeper/Crystalline Master: Dialga**

**Time Master/ Avatar of Chrono: Celebi**

**The Spatial Master/ Pearl Lord: Palkia**

**The Wish Maker/ Lord of the Third Eye/ Avatar of Space: Jirachi**

**Land Summoner/ Earth Shatterer: Groudon**

**Sky Dancer/ Flower Prince/Avatar of Earth: Shaymin**

**The Regi's: Regice, Regirock, Registeel**

**Regi Master: Regigigas**

**Ocean Bringer/ Sea King: Kyogre**

**Sea Prince/ Avatar of Sea: Manaphy**

**Muse of the Arts/The Muse: Meloetta**

**Field King/The Harvester: Landorus**

**Storm Bringer: Tornadus/ Thundrus**

**Princess of the Crescent Moon/ Dream Queen: Cresselia**

**Prince of the New Moon/ Dream King: Darkrai**


	3. Chapter 1: Dreams of the Slave

Chapter 2: Dreams of the Slave

He woke up suddenly, nearly striking his head on the low slung underbelly of the bunk bed above him. It was the same dream he had nearly every night for the past two years. At this point, he should be no longer surprised by this, but every night for the past two years, he jolted up out of bed, sweaty and wide eyed. Sometimes, he wondered what would have happened if he had listened to his father and ran home, warning his mother and Kara. Would he have arrived there in time? Would he have beaten the Tao soldiers swarming his home? Or would he have been like his mother Selena, beaten and tortured by the soldiers, possibly dying there on the sun-baked ground, his blood seeping into the dusty earth.

Kephra hugged his knees close to his chest, resting his head on them, thinking. Such a simple decision he made, and how huge the ramifications it had been.

He had been at the Black Pit Mines for two years now. Two years of mining in the bowels of the southern mountain chain of his home, known to be active, spewing ash and soot for miles. Two years of working with the smelting process of the metals mined. Two years of taxing, back breaking labor, mining iron and copper ore for the Tao Empire, only for the ore to be turned into weapons to be used against his people.

The very same people that were currently struggling to fight off the impeding yoke of control under the Tao Empire and their war mongering Emperors.

The Mines were located in the northern part of the mountain range that separated the large boxy continent that held the two kingdoms. It was perpetually hot and dry, despite being close to the cooler northern reaches and was once, a mine under the purview of the Skyking. The Black Pit Mines had once been a penitentiary colony of sorts, where dangerous, hardcore criminals went to work out the rest of their days. Due to how isolated the Mines were in the mountain ranges, there was little chance for a criminal to escape. The value of the ore within the cave made it one of the first areas the Tao Empire conquered, in order to place a choke hold on the Sky Kingdom's supply lines.

He sighed gustily and gazed into the stygian darkness, unable to sleep now. Even if he tried to sleep, the guards could burst in the buildings that housed the slaves, disrupting them from the fitful rests. He had no concept of time, not anymore.

The other slaves were asleep in their bunks, thin blankets providing little to no warmth in the drafty buildings, but it wasn't like they needed them anyway; the heat rolling in from the mountains surrounding them provided more than enough warmth for the residents. The blankets provided comfort, not warmth. Kephra had no desire for a blanket; he was a fire type by nature. The heat was nothing to him, thus, making him extraordinarily valuable to the overseers of the mines.

He felt the familiar anger roiling in his chest as he thought of the slaves surrounding him. Like him, they had been the victims of circumstance, being in the wrong place at the wrong time when the Tao soldiers rampaged in their homes. Some were enslaved for the pettiest reasons; for some, it was because an enemy had turned them in to Tao soldiers, claiming treason. Some had simply been in the way. Slaves of all ages and sexes slept together and worked together. At least the overseers had provided one small mercy: the females did not have to work in the mines. Instead, they worked as errand runners, bringing water to the slaves working in the mine shafts, cooking for the guards and cleaning.

He stretched out his legs, his knees cramping in the small space. The dull glint of the shackles on his ankles and wrists flashed in a shaft of starlight filtered through the boards of their ramshackle roof. The shackles were placed there to prevent Kephra from utilizing the fullest extent of his abilities and powers, namely, the ability to engulf his hands and wrists in flames. Such an ability would prove disastrous in a region such as this. The shackles were heavy and made of a dull bronze hued metal. Supposedly, they held the power of water inside them according to the slavers, preventing from any slave from getting the wrong idea. According to popular rumor, the shackles held the power of the slaves weakness, preventing them from utilizing their utmost strength. For water types, it was the essence of lightning, for dragons, the power of ice and so on and so forth. Kehpra knew that could not be the case, for he could heat the metal to a dull red using his fiery wrists, if he concentrated. The gesture weakened him greatly, so he did not attempt it very often. They were also unwieldy when it came to working in the mines, but after two years, he had long since gotten used to their weight and heft. If he could find some light in the darkness, it was that he had grown strong, perhaps even stronger than his brothers. The Mines had toughened him up.

He turned his eyes upward to the wooden boards of the bed above him, trying vainly to study the patterns of the grain. He wondered if he would ever escape from this nightmare. In the beginning, he had prayed to the All-Father for soldiers of the Sky King to storm the mines and free the slaves. It had been a pipe dream and Kephra quickly gave up on that, especially after he saw former Sky soldiers, distinguishable by their emerald green tunics, coming into the mines. But still, to completely give up on hope would mean to give up on everything in life and he would become nothing more than an emotionless zombie, going through the motions, but without any feeling or hope.

He closed his eyes as he stretched back into the tiny cramped bed. He had to at least attempt to get the tiniest amount of sleep before morning broke. He eyed the tiny shaft of starlight peeking through the wood beams of the roof. It was still very dark outside, the area gripped in the deepest darkness of night. He tried to relax, hoping, praying that for once, the nightmare didn't come again.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

He awoke to, once again, to a large bang as one of the guards for the Mines slammed the door wide open, letting in the dull red hue of the morning sky streaming in, along with the ashes that blew in from a westerly wind. He sat up slowly, eying the underbelly of the bed above him. He had a more pleasant dream this time, the first in a long time. It would seem that Arceus had answered at least one of his prayers. Kephra had dreamt of his evolution ceremony, when he evolved from a combusken to a blaziken. There had been a massive feast, festivities and well wishes from his father's workers and friends. Then, he had and his father had gone off to perform a special ceremony that was a secret to outsiders, namely those who were not blaziken.

The more he thought of the dream, the more his heart ached. It had been that last time he and his family had celebrated like that together. The Tao soldiers had invaded his home a mere fortnight later.

The guard, a rhydon, slid four squat buckets into the room, then crossing his arms, watching with a wary eye. His tunic, black, white and grey, the colors of the Tao, were now the dull color of soot and ash. A thick whip rested in one hand.

Kephra slid out of bed and knelt at one of the buckets. It was a thin pasty looking gruel, with some oats and mixed grain. It was to serve as both breakfast and lunch. Two of the buckets were full of tepid water. He cupped his hands and scooped a handful of the gruel, the bland taste of the meal not even registering on his tongue. The other slaves staying in the same bunk were doing likewise, scooping it with their hands and slurping at the meal, in a vain attempt to savor it.

From the corner of his eye, he spied one of the slaves, a older clefable, hobbling towards the bucket. He had a clear limp, as Kephra noticed how he avoided putting weight on his left leg. Kephra, who was much taller than him, shuffled to one side, offering him room to get something to eat.

"Here," he said to him. "There's plenty left."

The elder clefable shook his head. "There's no need for that today." he took only a measly mouthful and went over to the water bucket. Kephra felt a pang in his chest. The clefable knew something that he didn't and Kephra knew exactly what he had been talking about.

When Kephra managed to swallow down two handfuls of the gruel, he went over to the water bucket. Thankfully, there were a pair of ladles. Some of the slaves moved aside for him and Kephra ignored the ladles for once, instead consuming the water by scooping it in his hands. He leaned over into the water and he got a good look at himself. He was skinny, skinnier than most blaziken, with a lean face hardened by two years of toil. He had his father's face, hard and lean, but his mother's blue-green eyes. He would have been taller than his family as well, even taller than Akhum, if he were still alive today. Scars lined his arms and back, the result of the whip. He wore nothing more than a pair of raggedy pants, given to him when he arrived at the Mines. The guard occasionally gave them a change of clothes, but that only happened when the harvest festival and the Tao holiday that required "kindness" and no fighting for a single day.

The rhydon guard bulled in and snatched the buckets away, sloshing the food and water every which way, wasting it. Kephra turned his head away in disgust as some of the slaves, so desperate for food or water, tried to get it off the floor.

"Alright, here's your assignments for the day," the rhydon guard bellowed over the din, naming names and where they were meant to go. Kephra listened for his name.

"Kephra Vulkanus, you'll be working in Shaft 4."

Kephra winced inwardly. The mines were horrendous, especially the shafts that broke off from the main Shaft 4, for they were known to spew gas and collapse frequently. Of course, it could have been much worse; he could have been transporting the ore to the smelters like a workhorse or disposing of the corpses. The guard cracked the whip over the heads of the slaves. "Get to your posts!" he snarled and the slaves nearly fought each other to push past the guard.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kephra rubbed some sweat off his brow as he toiled in the mine shaft, the pickax in his hands slick with age and sweat from his palms. The dim glow of a lantern illuminated the stone in front of him, everything cast in a dull orange. They had managed to find another vein of iron ore in the shaft, the same vein he was working at. When he managed to get a chunk of iron out, he tossed it behind him into a cart that moved up and down the shaft, pulled by slave pokemon.

One of the guards cracked his whip over Kephra's head and he flinched, only a little, as the tip of the whip snaked across his shoulders, leaving behind a faint sting. He ignored the pain and the growls of the guard, only imagining wrapping the whip around the guard's neck.

"Water," someone called out from down the shaft and Kephra perked up. Occasionally, the guards and the supervisors of the mine sent out a slave with a couple buckets of water and ladles. The water was lukewarm and sometimes gritty, but it was water nonetheless. He reached out when the slave came by, snatching one of the ladles and dipping it into the pail and taking a sip of the water. It wasn't nearly as cold as it could have been, but it was refreshing and it washed the dist out of his throat. He finished the first ladle and dipped it in for a second scoop when the heavy hand of the guard clasped his forearm, twisting it.

"That's enough for you," the guard, a thuggish looking krookodile sneered. Kephra glared at him, hoping he would back down. Instead, the guard took the ladle from his hand and drank the water, slurping at it slowly with a sadistic glee. The guard tossed the ladle back at the slave, a nuzleaf. "Get going," the krookodile snapped. The slave scampered off, frightened.

The pair stared at each other for a heartbeat more and the guard snorted, yanking Kephra's arm as he stomped off. Kephra glowered at the crocodilian guard, as if his eyes could burn holes into the monster's physique. He turned back to the mine, pickax still in one hand, and went back to the iron vein, trying to get as much as he can without drawing the unwanted attention of the guards that patrolled the shaft.

Then, a rumble.

Dust began billowing from down the tunnel in massive plumes. "Collapse!" someone screamed and the chaos began. Kephra froze, nearly dropping the pickax as the soot and dust came pouring in from his left, the gray and black soot obscuring everything. He leapt over buckets and pickaxes and the crude railway that helped guide the carts up and down the shaft. The ground rumbled and shook under his feet, not unlike an earthquake. Dust obscured his vision as he ran. He stumbled once, landing heavily on his hands and knees. He got up a quickly as possible, to avoid being crushed by the debris. Dirt and rocks fell down from the ceiling, obscuring his vision. All he could hear was the panicked screams of the guards and the slaves caught unaware. Slaves and guards ran out from the smoke, not caring for those smaller than them, only about their own survival.

"Help! Help me, please!" Kephra turned around behind him to find a watchog on the ground, his left foot and leg pinned by an upturned cart that a guard or slave shoved over to get out of dodge.

Kephra stopped and ran to the watchog. "Hold on, I'm coming!" Kephra shouted over the din, leaping over a pile of debris. He knelt next to the watchog. "How bad is it?" he asked.

"Really bad," the watchog replied with a pained expression. "I think it's broken. Its really stuck under there."

Kephra nodded. "Okay." He quickly assessed the situation. The cart had managed to fall over in a way that the majority of the ore had scattered around the watchog. Unfortunately, some ore was still inside the cart, making it somewhat heavy. Kephra pushed and removed some of the hunks of ore out of the way. The watchog groaned in pain, eyes rolling back. Kephra had seen this once before, when one of his father's workers had come in, gravely injured from a cut of a scythe. His mother had managed to take care of the worker, but the worker had gone into shock during the process, just like the watchog was doing now.

"Stay with me!" Kephra demanded, shaking the watchog's shoulder, jolting him back into consciousness. Kephra glanced up, only to find the beam that was supporting their part of the shaft groaning with the pressure and threatening to snap with the weight. He had to move quickly. He placed his hands to either side underneath the cart and began to lift it up and away from the watchog's broken leg. He managed to fling it aside with a sudden rush of adrenaline.

The watchog watched Kephra with amazement. "Praise Arceus!" he whispered to the blaziken. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Kephra said, placing his arms under the watchog and lifting him off the ground, careful of the broken leg. The wooden beams moaned and groaned, dirt falling down like rain. Kephra took off, his legs easily leaping over the cart he moved. He could hear the beam give way and the shaft behind him collapsing under the pressure from the earth above.

He managed to make it outside, the shackles on his feet and ankles feeling heavier than ever. The watchog was now unconscious and Kephra wondered if he would make it through the night. He breathed heavily, trying to regain his breath. Thankfully, one of the other slaves, a female blissey, took the injured watchog from him, scurrying off to find something to help tend to the injured pokemon.

He glanced back behind him, watching as the dust billow out of the shaft in huge plumes, carrying with it the screams of the trapped. He hurriedly turned his face away, feeling ill to his stomach, instead, looking up towards the sky. The sky was a dull blue, with clouds coming in, reflecting the red of the landscape on their underbellies. Ash and soot filled the air, dancing on the winds. The slaves and guards that survived the partial shaft collapse milled outside like lost sheep, traumatized by the ordeal and in some cases, shell shocked.

After a few minutes, the supervisor, an ursaring, thundered down the hill, dressed in a blue-black tunic trimmed in royal violet thread, along with a pair of sleek leather boots with gold stamping. A whip with its handle wrapped in gold wire rested at his side, while a sword called a khanda rested on the other hip. An expression of displeasure marred his face. His paw reached for the expensive whip, a symbol of his authority, and he cracked it over his head, stunning the guards and slaves into silence. Kephra had only seen the overseer once in his two years there. The only other previous time was when he had inspected one of the shafts Kephra happened to be working at.

"You, you and you," he pointed to three guards that managed to escape the shaft. "Begin clearing out the shaft." He then pointed to some of the stronger looking slaves, including Kephra. "Remove whatever the guards tell you to. Overseer Viekos," the krookodile overseer, saluted. "Distribute the slaves to new shafts. We're behind schedule for fulfilling our quota thanks to this minor inconvenience."

"Yes sir," the krookodile saluted again and the ursaring snorted at his kowtowing. The usaring stomped off, leaving the guards and the salves to clean after the disaster, with minimal assistance.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**So, are you enjoying it so far? I hope so, and not just for the chance for submitting a character. And speaking of OCs, the submission form will be up until chapter five and it will then be taken down, in order to be somewhat compliant with the rules here on FFN; however, if you wish to submit one at a later time, I'm more than happy to pm you the form.**

** Kephra's name is from ancient Egypt, for those who are curious. It is the name of the Egyptian god Kephra, who rolled the sun across the sky everyday. **

** Akhom, his father, also has ties to ancient Egypt. His name means "eagle", which is a quite fitting for a blaziken. Akhum's name is a corruption of his father's name.**

** All the other names in here, save for a handful, don't have meanings in the real world; they're just made up names, but they have meaning in their world.**


	4. Chapter 2: In the Mines

Chapter 3: In the Mines

**Due to the recent crackdown on stories, I removed the OC form for the story off the first chapter, to keep the trolls and flames off my back. However, I will still accept characters. Send me a PM and I will send you the form, if you wish to send in a character.**

** I am in need of more Tao OCs, plus those who are medics, slaves, herbalists and gladiators. Thank you. **

Kephra slumped into the bed of his bunk, utterly exhausted. The evacuation of the cave in had proved more difficult than expected, moving rocks and debris, only to uncover corpses of his fellow slaves. He glanced down at his hands. They were thickly callused in the past two years of toiling in the Black Pit Mines. Now, they were cut up and raw from moving debris for the rest of the day. Blood was caked on his hands and underneath the shackles on his arms. He attempted to pull out a few splinters from his hands, the result from moving the wooden beams, which once supported the ceiling of the shaft, now shattered into tiny bits when the shaft collapsed.

He winced as he managed to pluck another splinter from the palm of his hand. The sky, now turning dark, was still somewhat light enough to work and pull the rest of the splinters out from his hands. Kephra glanced around the confines of the bunk he was staying at. Some of the beds were empty today, including the bunk of the clefable elder. Kephra wondered if he died in the mine shaft collapse or from something else entirely, pertaining to the leg injury.

The door of the bunk banged open and Kephra nearly jumped out of the bed. The sky was even darker now and the guard's face was cast into harsh highlights and shadows from the lantern he carried. It was the same guard from the morning, the rhydon, but now he had someone else with him this time. The rhydon guard rudely shoved the guest inside.

"This is where you'll stay," the guard snarled at the slave. He stomped off, slamming the door behind him.

Kephra squinted at the new guest. He, or she, Kephra couldn't tell from his distance, was short, about a foot-and-a-half-tall, with a thin body, but a small potbelly, and a long whip like tail, tipped with a lightning bolt shape, with two notches. From the lantern light, the slave had been an orange-ish color. It was a raichu. The raichu wandered listlessly down the bunk, between the bunk beds that lined the walls of the slave cabin. He was trying to find an empty bed, Kephra realized. The guard slammed the door behind the raichu, shuttering them in total darkness once more.

The raichu bumped into the ladder of Kephra's bunk bed. "Excuse me," the raichu apologized suddenly, flinching slightly as he said so. He stopped and blinked at Kephra. "You're a blaziken!" he suddenly blurted in surprise.

Kephra nodded curtly. "Yes, I am."

"I haven't seen a blaziken in a very long time, so you'll have to forgive me," the raichu bobbed his head. Kephra noticed that the raichu's ears were ragged and ripped, with small holes lining the bottoms. The raichu spotted Kephra's staring. "The Arceus thrice-demned Taos ripped out my earrings when they made me a slave."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Kephra replied, not offering much of sympathy for the small mouse like pokemon. At least he didn't see his family killed and enslaved before his eyes. But, he had to offer something. The raichu was admittedly intriguing to him. "What happened?"

"I was once a merchant in the city of Oam, near the border. I was a wealthy goldsmith. I made jewelry and repaired pieces for the nobles and wealthier people of the city. I had a lot of rivals and enemies. My fiercest competitor decided that he wasn't going to stand for my success and told the local authority that I was spying on the nobles of the town for the Sky Kingdom. I tried to fight the accusations, but needless to say, they didn't believe me and I eventually ended up here. The Taos took my home, my livelihood and everything I had worked for for nearly fifteen years. Of course, the Taos decided to have a little fun before they shipped me off here and that pertained to slowly ripping my earrings out of my ears. I had quite a few. Earrings, I mean." the raichu stopped. "What about you?"

Kephra turned away, feeling uncomfortable. "I'm not comfortable talking about it. Besides," he added. "I thought Oam was in the Tao Empire."

"It is."

"So, your own people betrayed you?"

"The Taos were never my people anyway. They don't trust anybody who isn't Tao, so the accusations they pressed, as feeble as they were, stuck. I'm actually from Obliverae. I moved here to start fresh." The raichu sighed. "Now I'll never go home."

Kephra shifted awkwardly on his bed, sympathy coming to him in a rush. The Tao soldiers were worse than he originally thought. "If it is any comfort," he said quietly. "I won't be able to go home either."

The raichu decided to clamber on the bed and sit next to Kephra. "What happened?" he asked again.

Kephra looked woefully at the raichu, now feeling obliged to say something. "The Tao soldiers took my father's estate from us and killed my family, including burning my father and oldest brother alive. Then, they captured me and brought me here, to work in the Mines."

"I am so sorry to hear that," the raichu reached out and placed a small hand on Kephra's leg. Kephra nearly jerked his leg away, startled by the gesture, but decided to keep it where it was. He was unused to a touch that did not pertain to the crack of the whip over his back. "Wait, did you say "estate"?"

"Yes, my father owned Vulkanus estate and by proxy, Vulkanus Wines."

"I may have had one of your father's wines once," the raichu said thoughtfully, recalling an old memory. "It was very rich and sophisticated in flavor. Very delicious."

"Thank you. My father would have liked to hear that. He sold a lot to the Tao Empire before the war. He liked to say that emperors were drinking his wines."

"And they probably were," the raichu said, eliciting a faint, ghostly smile on Kephra's face, before it vanished to the darkness once more. "What is your name, if I might ask?"

"Kephra. Kephra Vulkanus."

"I'm Micah Aurum." Micah stuck out a paw and Kephra took it, enveloping the mouse like pokemon's hand in his own.

"Nice to meet you, Micah."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kephra wiped away sweat from his brow as he worked in the shaft. He had been assigned to work in the mines for the past three days now, and the blaziken was in need of a change of scenery, rather than just staring at a black stone face, searching for the elusive vein of metal. The wake of the mine shaft collapse made him somewhat wary about staying underground for too long. At least he had Micah to keep him company, he realized with a half scoff. The raichu was very talkative, talking almost constantly about his life and questioning Kephra's about his. Kephra was reluctant to talk about his own history, but was curious about Micah's, especially since he lived in both Obliverae and the Tao Empire and the blaziken was intrigued about how different the two places were from his own home.

In the aftermath of the shaft collapse, over fifty slaves and nearly a dozen guards died in the shaft collapse. The slaves were buried in a mass funeral pyre, to save space and to decrease the amount of time lost if they decided to bury them. The guards were placed in wooden coffins and shipped to various parts of the Empire, to be buried with their families and loved ones. The pair had worked to help move stones and shovel away dirt from the wreckage. If they came across a slave, they would toss the poor mangled corpse into a cart to be rolled away. If they came across a guard, they were not allowed to touch the body, for fear of purloining items like knives or keys off their corpse, giving the slaves a chance to escape. Instead, they were to immediately inform one of the guards on duty and they would deal with the body accordingly.

Kephra picked at the vein with his pickax in quick, steady, and short strokes, to minimize fatigue. He glanced over at Micah whom was working right next to him, a few feet away. He was using the pickax in large sweeping strokes, raising the pickax over one shoulder and swinging it down in an almost dramatic fashion. The pair had been working at the vein since they arrived and neither of them knew how long time had elapsed.

Kephra finally spoke up. "You're doing it wrong."

Micah nearly stopped mid-swing. "What?"

"You're doing it wrong. If you swing it like that, you'll get tired a lot faster and will slow down, thus attracting the unwanted attention of the nearest guard and a whip."

"I will?"

"Yeah. Use shorter strokes and just chip away at it, don't swing it like it's a battleaxe."

"Well, I am getting tired," Micah admitted. "But I saw the other slaves use their axes like this."

"And they're the most tired and they're the slowest later in the day too. Trust me on this one."

"Hey!" a guard barked from a few yards down, the very same krookodile that had antagonized Kephra a few days earlier. "Keep it down!"

Kephra clamped his mouth, not wanting to press his luck. He went back to mining the ore, quiet, occasionally glancing from the corner of his eye to make sure that Micah was doing it correctly. Micah chipped away at the ore as well, but was beginning to slow down, the dramatic swings taking its toll. Unfortunately, the krookodile guard noticed as well. The guard came over, whip in hand and eager to use it.

"Faster!" he snarled, cracking the whip once over Micah's head. Micah winced and the guard spotted it, flashing a crocodilian grin, sending a chill down Kephra's spine. The guard was a bully and was going to make sure that Micah, the new slave, would know it. He cracked it once again and Kephra tried to ignore it, hoping to not draw attention to himself.

Micah's hands then slipped on the pickax and the tool dropped from his hands, clattering on the floor. The guard seized the opportunity. "No slacking off on the job! Keep working!"

"It just slipped. . .," Micah began but the crack of the whip across his back silenced him. He yelped in pain when the whip snaked across his back, leaving an angry welt across his back.

"Don't talk back to your superiors, you Sky scum!" the krookodile guard struck him again with the whip.

All Micah wanted to do was curl up into a tiny ball and pray for the beating to pass. _"Please, please make it stop,"_ he begged to himself. The whip had struck once, then twice. His back felt like streaks of fire were racing across it and he guessed that he was bleeding as well from the wound. Micah tensed up, waiting for the third blow to set his back alight once more.

But the third blow never came.

Kephra watched the scene unfold, feeling an anger bubble up in him as he watched the guard cruelly beat the poor raichu for simply dropping the pickax; the guard was just waiting for the opportunity to beat someone today. He switched the pickax to his right hand and shot his left hand out to snatch the whip. He stopped it in mid-swing, the leather whip then curling around his hand with the momentum. The krookodile snarled, flashing his long fangs in rage.

"Let go scum!" he warned.

"No."

"Let go, or I'll teach you the meaning of pain, Sky scum!"

Kephra gave a dangerous smile and his eyes glinted with an unknown light, daring the guard to go through with his threat. The blaziken didn't even notice how quiet the area had gotten, the slaves and nearby guards watching and waiting to see what will happen next. The pair stared at each other for a long while and soon, the krookodile guard gave in, his eyes turning away and the whip going lax in his grip. Kephra let go and watched as the guard stormed off, inflicting his wrath on those in his way, guards and slaves alike.

Kephra held out a hand and Micah gratefully took it. Kephra helped him back up. "Thank you," Micah whispered raggedly.

Kephra shook his head. "Don't thank me." he went back to mining. "I just don't like bullies."

Micah was skeptical of Kephra's reasoning, but decided not to push it. He flashed a small secretive smile to himself. Maybe he had made a true friend after all.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The pair stuck with each other the next few weeks, Kephra helping Micah in the various chores of the mines, including helping clear out the collapsed mine shaft.

A few weeks later, after Micah had fallen into a steady, if brutal rhythm, both Kephra and Micah were soon assigned to help with the smelting facilities, helping to melt the iron and copper ores they obtained and then removing the impurities from the rough ore. Micah had never operated a large scale smelting facility before, only smaller ones when he would buy gold ore and melt it down to purify it, then, construct jewelry. Kephra operated the majority of the two smelters, a pair of massive stone, cylinder-like structures, with a large fire burning inside, fed by wood and charcoal. One smelter melted the copper ore, while the other melted iron; both metal had different melting points and therefore had to be separate. He would move the crucibles, ceramic bucket like objects filled with the crushed ore, into the smelter with a pair of tongs and wait until the ore had melted into molten metal, the impurities either burned away or resting on top of the molten ore, to be removed easily. Since he was much shorter than Kephra and could not operate the smelter nearly as well, Micah helped by feeding the smelter with wood and charcoal. There were about three dozen large scale smelters throughout the Mines, Kephra and Micah operating one of them.

Kephra had another batch of molten iron in a crucible, held with a pair of long tongs that supported the crucible in three different places, the sides and bottom, to keep it from tipping and splashing molten metal everywhere. Kephra had seen that occur twice before and the results were often gruesome. He reached in with the long tongs and pulled out a second crucible that had been in there for a while, and inspected the molten iron inside. After he deemed it worthy, he moved the crucible to a large slab with one-pound ingot molds at regular intervals. Slowly and carefully, Kephra began to pour the liquid metal into each mold, taking caution to not splash nor slosh the metal. There were two dozen ingot molds and eventually, he managed to fill them all, with not a drop to spare. He could breathe a sigh of relief. The smelters could hold about six crucibles at a time and currently, there were five crucibles, with the metal inside at different stages of smelting. He could take a break.

That was the fortunate thing about working the smelting facilities; due to the horrifically hot environment, those working them could take more frequent breaks than those working the mine shafts or elsewhere. Besides, a large portion of smelting was waiting, waiting for the metal to melt and burn away the impurities. Kephra flopped down on a squat stone bench and reached for the bucket filled with water, taking the large ladle that went with it. He dipped the ladle into the lukewarm water—there would never be cold or even cool water in this environment—and took a deep sip, looking around for any guards. The guards usually kept their distance from the smelting facilities; again another blessing from working the smelters.

Micah, who had finished restocking the smelters with wood and charcoal, sat down next to him and Kephra passed the ladle and bucket to the raichu. The pair had become close the past few weeks and Kephra might be able to call the short mouse like pokemon a friend. He learned a lot about Micah the past few weeks.

Micah had been from the Island Nation of Obliverae, an island chain to the east of the Tao Empire. He was the oldest of a large family of jewelry merchants and when he got old enough, he moved to Oam, a large city near the mountain pass of Sylph, the very same mountain pass that the Tao army went through to invade the Sky Kingdom. He remained ambivalent to the conflict; to him, business was business, no matter the customer. He had provided his jeweler services to both kingdoms and he became a well known jeweler. Unfortunately though, he made some rivals along the way and his fiercest rival decided to use the Tao/Sky Kingdom conflict to bump his rival off. He accused Micah of spying for the Sky Kingdom and had created some false evidence to back his claim, including bribing some false witnesses and forging documents.

The Tao soldiers, known for their sentiments against non-Tao citizens, believed his rival, who was a natural born Tao citizen. Through a farcical excuse of a trial, Micah was convicted of spying for the enemy and lost his home and passion due to it. To make matters worse, his rival ended up getting Micah's shop as a "reward" for telling the authorities. The guards, before they shipped Micah to the Black Pit Mines, decided to have a little fun with Micah, slowly ripping out each and every one of Micah's ear piercings, gambling on the earrings when they were done. Micah had eight piercings in all, thus explaining his ragged and scarred ears.

"We could escape, you know," Micah said, after taking a large draught of water.

Kephra coughed. "What?"

"Leave here, escape."

"You're insane, you know that?" Kephra glanced around, making sure none of the guards could hear Micah's crazy talk. "And keep it down, before the guards hear you."

"I'm not crazy," Micah argued. "I know a guard."

"You do?"

"You know the one called "Absalom"?"

"No, not really. A guard is a guard to me. I don't make an effort to learn my enemies' names."

"He's the charmeleon with the dark red pelt. His family lived near my shop and they would come over frequently for meals. In Oam, the biggest meal of the day was lunch, so they would come and eat lunch with me, to keep me company. Large family, very nice and giving. Absalom was the only one who didn't evolve to a charizard, if I remember right."

"He is a Tao," Kephra spat, bitter. "No Tao would be willing to help the likes of us. No unless he wishes to be branded a traitor, or worse, head to an early grave with the slaves.

"He could help us," Micah whispered to Kephra, insistent. "Maybe we could free the other slaves too. Take this place down."

"Now I know you're nuts. The guards would slaughter us."

"Not if they're outnumbered ten to one. There's two thousand of us, plus fresh slaves coming in every week. There's only about two hundred guards and the Tao magistrate won't increase their numbers, because all the available soldiers are needed on the front lines. That's a ten slave to one guard ratio."

"How do you know this?"

"I pay attention to the rumors and gossip floating around.

" Well, don't give me the math, I was never good with numbers." Kephra laughed and got up from the bench, to check on the crucibles in the smelters. He inspected each of them, adjusting as needed and removing one of them with the tongs, headed to the ingot mold. "Besides, how are we going to get _all_ of the slaves to rise up?"

"Have you ever been in the north?"

"No, I have not."

"Well, in the northern mountain ranges, snow packs on the mountain sides in tens of feet. Occasionally, some of the snow at the top of the mountain will fall off and head down the mountain slope. Then, as it's going down, it brings more snow with it and creating a massive avalanche."

"So what you're saying is that the slaves will rise up when they see others do the same."

"Exactly. A chain reaction."

Kephra shook his head, just finishing up pouring the molten metal into the ingot molds. "You're crazy. No slave would do such a thing." He went to one of the carts full of iron ore and took out a handful of large pieces. He placed them in the now empty crucible and grabbing a large pestle, began pounding the ore into smaller pieces, making it easier to melt

"And no slave would ever stand up to one of the guards, stopping from from brutally beating a slave. They did though "

Kephra paused, his hand just hovering over the crucible, recalling stopping the krookodile guard from whipping Micah. He sighed gustily. "Fine, I'll help, but only to keep you from getting in trouble."

Micah laughed, his arms now full of kindling and charcoal for the fire. "You know, the slaves look up to you, for standing up to the guard."

"I'm no hero."

"You might not think so, but some of the slaves are starting to stir and stand up for themselves. This might be easier than expected."

"I doubt it."

**The process of the smelting is mostly accurate. Admittedly, it can be difficult to find a page with the medieval, older way of smelting, so some is made up. Perhaps if I get a chance to watch a smelter in action, then I'll redo that part of the chapter to be much more accurate.**

** Micah's name, like Kephra's also has some meaning behind it. Micah sounds like "mica", one of the minerals known as fool's gold. Since Micah is a goldsmith, this it very ironic. Also Micah's last name is "Aurum", which is Latin for gold and is why gold is listed as "Au" on the periodic table.**


	5. Chapter 3: Plans in the Night

Chapter 3

Absalom fidgeted with the wooden mug resting on the long table, his long claws clicking on the wood. It had been another exhausting day, working in the heat, keeping an eye on the slaves. He hated his job, but he had been forced into it, thanks to the superior officers of the Tao Army, namely his brother Rhion. Rhion did not want him fighting on the front lines against the war, which had now devolved into guerrilla warfare, the Sky rebels striking from the shadows, forcing the Tao soldiers to always look behind them, just in case. He couldn't blame the Sky rebels for fighting the way they did; they had been vastly outnumbered and caught off guard by the Tao armies. They had to fight the way they did, in order to survive.

Absalom hated being a guard. He wasn't unnecessarily cruel or thuggish like the other guards. He took no pleasure from beating the slaves with his Empire issued whip, unlike many of his comrades. Many of the slaves, if they had been asked, would have called Absalom the "kind guard", sneaking some water to some of the more faint-hearted slaves and pretending to whip the slaves with his weapon.

In fact, he didn't even want to become a soldier; he would have been more than happy to live out the rest of his days in the family business, becoming an engineer like his father, who had been one in the Tao forces. But the the Oam military commander came around and forced him into the draft. Rhion, his "perfect" older sister had been more than happy to be in the Tao army; she had joined even before the war and was now an officer in the Army. It was Rhion's clout that kept Absalom from fighting on the front lines. She tried to force Absalom out of the army, stating health problems—Absalom had not been pleased with Rhion's "excuse"-, but failed. Instead, Absalom ended up working as a guard in the Black Pit Mines, one of the mines that the Tao army took over in the beginning of the war.

He hated it, he hated everything about it and had hated it for two years now, since the Tao armies took it over and placed their own guards in the place. He kept quiet for those two years, keeping his head down and doing his job, but now, things were changing

He was interrupted from his thoughts by the raucous laughter of some of the guards down the tables, their faces in mugs of old, watery ale, the only form of alcohol they could obtain. Absalom shook his head and went back to his drink, water. Some of the guards were older, former soldiers taking their internal problems out on the slaves, other guards were nothing more than bullies and malicious, taking sadistic pleasure from beating those weaker than they. Others were like Absalom, soldiers drafted into the Tao army and then shipped up here, trying to draw as little attention to themselves as possible.

He dug one of his claws into the wood of the table and began to scratch patterns into it, too awake to sleep, too lethargic to do much of anything else. He wanted to ignore the signs of change for so long, but he knew that they were happening whether he liked it for not. First it had been the arrival of the newest batch of slaves two fortnights ago. Slaves were often sent up to Black Pit Mines by way of rapidash of zebstrika pulled carts and Absalom and a few other guards met the carts at the entrance of the Mines, to distribute the slaves to their respective bunks, to take the places of those who had passed away.

One of those slaves Absalom had been positive that it was his neighbor in Oam: Micah Aurum, a prestigious jeweler and friend of his parents. Absalom could recognize him by the two nicks in the raichu's long whip like tail and the slender figure, with a small pot belly. Absalom did not know why Micah had been enslaved, but he noticed the ragged ears and he realized that his numerous earrings had been ripped out cruelly. It filled the charmeleon with rage that they would do such a thing to them. Micah had never done anything to deserve it, let alone be enslaved. Something was becoming horribly wrong. But he wasn't entirely positive; it could have been a figment of his imagination, but he had to be sure.

Then, it was the actions that had occurred in the shafts of the Mines. Absalom did not know exactly what had happened down there, but from what he could gather from rumors and half-truths, one of the slaves, a blaziken, had stood up to one of the guards, a sadistic krookodile known as Bharro, from beating one of the slaves, a raichu. There was only one raichu that Absalom knew of working in the Mines and that was Micah, he thought. The slaves were beginning to grow restless of their lot in life. Many had been soldiers in the Sky Kingdom, captured by Tao forces, and others were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. But no matter their past, the slaves were beginning to rise up and Absalom could not blame them, as treasonous his thoughts were.

At the beginning of the war, Absalom had been for it, supporting the Tao army and his sister, who had been one of the first ones to enter the Sky Kingdom. There was one problem though; no one knew exactly _why_ the Tao Empire was invading. Some claimed it was to obtain more resources and land for their growing populace, others said it was to purge the Sky Kingdom barbarians off the map and this was the first step for completely dominating the region, including the "archaic" Twin Monarchies of Kanjo and the "pacifist" Island Nation of Obliverae. Whatever the reason, it seemed very fuzzy and not well defined. The Tao Emperors claimed that it was retaliation for the disappearance of Kyurem, the Frost Emperor, but that too, was vague.

Two years into the war, and Absalom was not even sure what they were fighting for. He was tired of staying in this miserable pit that was worthy of The Distortion Lord's domain and he was tired of having to lord over those who had been less fortunate than he. Absalom wondered if the Sky soldiers would treat him like this if the situation had been worse. Probably worse, according to some of the Tao guards. _They_ claimed they were being merciful to the slaves. _"As if,"_ Absalom thought to himself.

Then, he had an idea. First though, he had to confirm that the raichu slave he saw was in fact, Micah, the jeweler.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He fumbled for the keys that opened the bunk. Absalom had to purloin the keys off the discarded belt of the overseer, the ursaring. The keys were bronze and archaic in design, Absalom thought in disdain. There were other ways to design the keys. He wanted to laugh at himself for using the "engineer's mind", his father had called it, his uncanny knack to point out the design flaws of objects. Micah had employed his services once or twice, when trying to make his jewelry processes more efficient. The raichu had sworn to hire the charmeleon "one of these days", Absalom thought with fond memories. He slowly tip-toed back out of the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. The ursaring had complete control over all the keys used by the guards. In the morning, he would disperse the keys to the guards for their respective shifts. Then at the end of the day, they would hand them back in. Those who didn't were often penalized; Absalom didn't want to know what would happen if he were caught.

He dashed back to his room, grabbing his chainmail hauberk to go under his gray tunic. It was better to be safe than sorry, Absalom thought, his hands shaking, rattling the individual links of his hauberk. The last thing he wanted was an angry slave attempting to kill him. He decided to leave his whip and knife back in the small room he called his own, leaving them on the small crate he called a nightstand. He padded out of the room agonizingly slow, to keep the hauberk from jingling.

He sighed in relief when he managed to make it outdoors without being spotted by the guards. He looked up to the night sky and he wondered which constellations he was seeing now. It was the beginning of fall, if he remembered right, and soon, the beginning of harvest season, though that did not matter much here.

The Black Pit Mines were located at the feet of three large, steep mountains in a rough triangle shape. The Mines were in a valley, with one of the mountains at the end of the valley, with the other two flanked it. It was steep, and with only one way in and out of the valley. As a precaution, since the Mines were originally a penal colony, a thick wall with massive oaken doors was built at the entrance of the valley, guarded constantly by trained soldiers. Total, the Mines took up about seventy-five acres in size, smaller than many farms and estates, but large enough to host a large population of slaves, as most of the work was done underground in a veritable maze of tunnels and alcoves, deep into the mountains that shielded the valley.

Absalom crept along, past the mess hall for the guards and past many of the squat, drab buildings that housed the slaves, until he found the one he was looking for. He managed to catch a peek at the housings lists when he pilfered the keys. The lists didn't have names, but it did list species and their designation numbers, given to them by a department in the Tao government.

He stood before the door of the building he believed that held Micah. He fumbled for the appropriate key on the massive key ring. The keys jingled painfully loud in the silence, seeming to echo in the complex and mock his attempts . He finally found the key he was looking for, a bronze key patina-ed with age. He pushed it into the lock and turned it, hearing the satisfying "click". He attempted to open the door, but the hinges creaked jarringly loud and Absalom ceased, waiting until the right moment. He then creaked the door open slowly, a little at a time, until he managed to step inside.

He gawked at the numerous bunk beds that lined the walls. The stench of must and other unpleasant odors assailed his nose and he nearly gagged. He waited until he managed to get his gag reflex under control, and then went in between the bunk bed, looking for the raichu he believed to be Micah. He finally found the raichu, sleeping fitfully under the thin blanket. Absalom reached out and fingered the blanket between his claws, appalled at the deplorable conditions. He dropped the blanket and studied the raichu. He was sleeping on his side, his back turned to him. He had the slender frame and the two notches in his tail. His heart sprang to his throat. It was Micah! But why was he here? Why was he a slave now.

He reached out and gently shook the raichu. The pokemon stirred and turned to face Absalom, eyes half-lidded.

"Who's there?" he muttered.

Absalom took a shaky breath. "Micah, is that you?"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Micah woke slowly when he felt something shaking his shoulder, softly at first, then harder and harder. He wondered if it was one of the other slaves, or Kephra perhaps. He rolled over and opened his eyes, still gummy from the bouts of sleep. In his sleep addled vision, he saw a reptilian face peer down at him, its pelt dark, while a small fire, almost a flicker, burned at the end of the stranger's tail. "who's there? He sat upright.

"Micah, is that you?"

Micah blinked in surprise, realizing with a start who had been shaking him awake. "Absalom?" the charmeleon, Absalom, nodded eagerly and Micah's breath hitched. "I was right. It _is _you." Suddenly, he reached forward, enveloping the charmeleon in a tight hug. "It is you."

Absalom was taken by surprised, but he managed to wriggle his arms out from Micah's vice like grip and returned the hug. When the pair broke it off, Absalom began. "How did you end up here?" he asked in a rush."

"One of my rivals accused me of being a spy for the Sky Kingdom and through a farcical excuse of a trial, I got convicted and sent to be a slave for my punishment. It is poor times to not be a Tao in that country."

Absalom shook his head. "I don't believe it. You were a pillar of that community. My parents trusted and loved you. How could they turn against you?"

"It wasn't your parents, son. It was hysteria that drove me here. Your parents tried to help, but it wasn't enough, not when the accuser and the prosecution had forged documents and bribed witnesses to prove their case. Injustice won there." Absalom fell to the floor in a thump, head cradled in his hands. Micah continued, "times are changing Absalom, and we're too old fashioned and honest to keep up with them. But my question is what are you doing here, in the slave compound of all things?"

Absalom turned his face to the raichu on the bed. "I had to make sure, make sure it really was you."

"Well it is, here in the flesh."

"I came because, because I realized that change is coming."

"It is, like a wind going in opposite directions at once."

"Yes, I don't even know why we're fighting anymore. No one does, and yet, we still go through with it. The Sky Kingdom didn't instigate anything. It's. . .it's wrong." he finally admitted. "We need to change." he turned inward. "But how?" he wondered to himself, pondering the great epiphany he came to.

"Simple, we rise up, and make the change ourselves."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

He was dreaming the dream again, the same one where he saw his father and his oldest brother burned at the stake for defending his home. He knew what was going to happen, yet, he always prayed that the outcome would be different, his father breaking free of his bonds perhaps, and slaughtering the Tao soldiers that dared to take away his home. He was always looking for Ezra though, the second oldest, the brother who would sneak him treats and candies while working in the fields and defending him from his brother, the peacemaker and the acolyte for the local priest of Arceus. He was supposed to be inducted into the priesthood in mere months, until the Tao soldiers charged in and changed everything. He always wanted Ezra to survive or escape the catastrophe. Maybe if he would ever escape, he would search for his brother. . .And Kara as well. He knew the Tao soldiers struck her on the beck of her head, knocking her unconscious. They probably enslaved her, knowing the soldiers.

To find Ezra and Kara. . .and maybe, just maybe, he could have a semblance of a family again.

"Kephra!" a voice hissed urgently at him, interrupting his dreams. It wasn't his father shouting his name, nor was it Akhum. So who was it? "Kephra! Wake up Kephra!" the blaziken stirred, the thin blanket falling off his person. He blinked groggily into the darkness, with minimal light to show the way. The face of Micah peered back at him, seeming as large as the moon rise. He nearly jumped, startled by the close proximity.

"What is it?" Kephra asked slowly, his voice scratchy and rough.

"Someone is here, and he wants to talk to us. Well, you mainly."

Kephra's heart suddenly began to race in his chest and his mouth went dry. His claws clenched the ragged edges of his blanket and he wondered if it was a guard, wanting to "question" him about what happened in the mine shaft. Thankfully, Micah's voice cut through the fog his mind entered. "Don't worry, it isn't anything bad," he reassured him.

Kephra sat up slowly in the bed, taking care to not hit his head, like he did every time. He gazed around the room, trying to find the figure who so desired his attention. He finally saw it, a figure hovering in the corner of the room, a small fire next to them, lighting it in a dull yellowish glow. Kephra squinted and realized that the fire was in fact, coming from the tip of the mysterious stranger's tail. The visitor was not very tall, only slightly taller than Micah at just over three feet. He was definitely reptilian in looks, bipedal, and with a dark red, almost maroon pelt. He had burly forearms and thick claws and a single stout crest emerged from the back of his head. His eyes were a vibrant green, like leaves in spring. He wore a dull grey tunic, now looking orange in the firelight, with what appeared to be a chainmail hauberk underneath, the individual links glowing in the light.

The appearance tickled the back of Kephra's mind and he pondered who he was. He had to be a guard, judging by his clothing and more put together appearance. There were about two-hundred guards at the Mines and while Kephra had seen all of them numerous times, he never thought of putting a name to their faces. It wasn't as if the guards cared about learning his name.

"This is Absalom, the charmeleon guard I told you about," Micah explained, gesturing for Absalom to step forward. Kephra suddenly remembered: Micah had mentioned him in his grandiose plans to escape the Black Pit Mines, helping the other slaves break free in the process.

_"So he is going through with it,"_ Kephra mused. "You must be Absalom, the charmeleon Micah told me about."

"Indeed I am," Absalom replied, almost nervously, eyes constantly glancing around.

_"Of course he's nervous," _Kephra realized. _"He's surrounded by those he enslaved."_

"I had to find him, Micah, I mean." Absalom explained. "When he first came off the carts, I thought I saw him, but I had to be sure. Then I heard about the incident in the shaft, so I _had_ to find him, and find out why he was here of all places."

"And then I promptly told him everything." Micah added.

Kephra's jaw nearly dropped, no words fully adequate to describe his tumultuous emotions. "You told him _everything_?"

"And why not?" Micah asked, arms crossed, the raichu's face set in determination. "I trust him."

"Besides," Absalom interjected quickly. "I want to escape too."

_That_ had Kephra's attention. "You're a guard, life is good for you here. Well, as good as it gets, I'm sure."

Absalom shook his head. "I'm sure it seems like that, but I never wanted to fight, or even be a soldier. All I wanted to do was be an engineer, but I ended up conscripted into the Tao army. My sister Rhion tried to get me out, but failed." He flopped down onto the hard dirt packed floor and sighed, the fire on his tail dying down just slightly. "Things are changing. I mean really changing. Micah being enslaved, the slaves beginning to stand up for themselves. I'm not even sure why we're fighting anymore and to be honest, I don't think anybody knows save the Emperors. Something has to happen, before everything breaks loose."

Kephra shifted himself to the edge of his bed, studying Absalom. He had no idea exactly how old the charmeleon was, but he would guess a young adult, one who wise beyond their years. He decided that Absalom could not be that bad, especially if he was a family friend of Micah's and he came down here to their level, so to speak, and confide in them. "What do you propose then?"

Absalom shrugged. "I guess what Micah suggested. Black Pit Mines is the second largest importer of copper and iron to the Tao army. If that is somehow disrupted-"

"Like the slaves rebelling and taking over the Mines," Micah interrupted.

"-Again, what Micah suggested, then the Tao army's supply lines would be greatly affected. The army has numerous uses for the metals and in order to conserve the metal they have until they obtain new sources, the Tao armies would have to cut back on other things, like machinery, and alchemical and engineering purposes, thus slowing their progress into the Kingdom of Sky."

Kephra mulled it over. "How will we do this then?"

"As a guard, I'm allowed access to the keys that the overseer has. Maybe, I can get the keys from him, using you two, and then we can help free the other slaves."

"We'd have to get a distraction somehow," Kephra added. "I mean, how are we supposed to get the keys from him, without drawing suspicion?"

"Maybe we can help," the three shot upright to find some of the other slaves hovering nearby, hope and other emotions alight on their faces. The leader of the troop, the one that spoke, was a cinccino, older, judging by its gait and wrinkles around its eyes. Its voice was distinctively male.

"We can provide the distraction," a darmanitan shouted eagerly. The minccino shushed her and the darmanitan shrunk back into the crowd.

"As I was saying," the minccino continued, stroking its long fur that wrapped around his neck like a scarf . "We can provide the distraction, even if it means at the cost of our lives, but with the chance at freedom, we will be more than willing to take it." The other slaves began to add their voices , turning the bunk into a din.

"Quiet!" Absalom hissed sharply, the fair on his tail flaring to life. "Or we'll get caught!" the slaves immediately quieted, not wanting to draw unwanted attention.

Kephra turned to Absalom. "How do you suggest we do this?"

Absalom mulled it over. "Well, here's what I've got so far. . ."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Absalom was a creation that came to me rather suddenly, as I was trying to piece together the upcoming part and figuring out the logistics of the escape. Then his character grew and grew and I gave him a backstory, and an in depth personality. Shoot, he even gets his own mini-arc in the story, but only for a few chapters. **

** I'm not quite sure how he ended up at his name; it sort of just came to me. I'm also too lazy to look up the actual meaning of it, but you can, if you want. Chances are, it has nothing to do with him, lol. **


	6. Chapter 4: Fight for Freedom

Chapter 4: Fight for Freedom

**Hopefully, these next two chapters do non seem so far fetched, (no pun there folks, honest), because one of my reviewers, Auraforce3000—I hope I got that right-pointed out a good point to me. While I managed to explain myself ( I think; inform me on that one, Auraforce), it brought up a few valuable points.**

** Maybe you guys can suspend logic for the next two chapters, and enjoy the awesomeness that is Kephra, lol.**

The next four weeks had become agonizing for Kephra and Micah, as they and Absalom, the charmeleon guard, laid down their plans for escape, overthrowing the Black Pit Mines and freeing the other slaves in the process. The plan was pretty elaborate and complicated, relying on many factors to fulfill their plan, one of which was Absalom obtaining the keys that undid Kephra's and Micah's shackles. Absalom had no luck in getting them quite yet, but for Absalom to ask for the keys would draw suspicion and their plans would be for naught.

Such was the problem of their plan: it relied on too many factors that could change at a moment's notice, but they had to pray for them to succeed anyway.

And so, they waited. And waited. And waited.

The other slaves involved in the plan were growing restless as well. They would provide the distraction needed to ignite Absalom's plan into action, plus, they would also help free slaves, once they got the keys from Absalom, Micah and Kephra.

The air was beginning to grow crisp with the onset of autumn and Kephra was beginning to grow grateful for the warmer depths of the mine shafts and working at the smelters, even more so for the smelters, for they radiated massive amounts of heat. From what Absalom told them, when the charmeleon actually had the chance to interact with them, the guards would squabble over who had guard duty at the smelters dotted around the valley.

Then, their chance came.

That morning, Absalom came into the room, keys jangling off his belt. He was accompanied by another guard, the rhydon that always seemed to wake them and bring them their breakfast of thin gruel. The rhydon had the buckets of gruel and water in his hands. He knelt and slid them across the hard packed floor, chuckling darkly as one of them sloshed food out and onto the floor. He looked down at Absalom.

"Sure you can handle them? They seem like a rowdy bunch!" he laughed hardily, one hand on his belly, as if he told the greatest joke ever.

Absalom shook his head at the rhydon. "They're only slaves," he replied snidely, sneering at the slaves, including Kephra and Micah. "What can they do to us?"

The rhydon slapped Absalom on the back, the charmeleon staggering forward a few paces. "That's the way to think! Don't let them think that they can get to you." He snorted and spat at the slaves. "Sky scum." The rhydon stomped off, muttering something about the Tao's superiority.

Once he was out of earshot, the Absalom rolled his eyes, eliciting a few chuckles from the slaves. "Idiot." Absalom said. He pulled out a sheet. "Okay, from what I can tell, since this is my first time with this, the majority of the slaves from this bunk will be in mine shaft 8, save for the females." As a safety measure, Absalom began to read out loud the assignments out for that day, to make sure everything was going to plan-

-Until be came across Kephra's and Micah's names.

He paused, nearly stumbling over their names. They were to be assigned to one of the smelters, with Absalom as their guard for the day. He furrowed his brow in thought, wondering if the other guards knew something he didn't. He had made sure that he had kept the plans as secret as possible, quietly conferring with Micah and Kephra whenever he could, the pair then relaying Absalom's ideas to the slaves of their bunk.

"Is something the matter?" Micah asked, jarring Absalom.

"A bit. Kephra and Micah have been assigned to the smelters, with me acting as their guard." He shrugged. "We can still go through with the first part of the plan, but I don't know about the second now."

"Passing the keys to us?" the darmanitan who had spoken out so eagerly long ago asked.

Absalom nodded. "I mean, we could work our way around it, but we would have to make sure everything went according to plan." He turned to the slaves. "You know the signal, right?"

The minncino nodded. "Yes, we do. We may be slaves, but we are not stupid."

Absalom held his hands up in defense. "I did not mean anything by that, honest. I'm just making sure that we know what exactly is going to happen."

He shoved the scroll into his belt. "Let's get going before some of the other guards grow suspicious."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Kephra and Micah toiled at the smelters, the smell of molten metal and burning wood full in their nostrils on that autumn morning. The day thus far had felt busier than usual, with orders from the higher ups that the smelters needed to up production of the refined product. Some of the overseers had mildly protested this, saying that in order to increase production, they would have to build more smelters. The supervisor of the Mines ignored their complaints and demanded more product for the Tao army, lest they and the slaves suffer an unseemly punishment.

Kehpra's eyes occasionally flickered back to Absalom, who was hovering nearby, watching and waiting for the right time. He was waiting for the signal from the charmeleon, the one that would allow them to put their plans into motion. Micah nudged him. "Anything yet?" the raichu asked.

For good measure, Kephra glanced back one more time at Absalom. He gave a miniscule shake of the head and Kephra nodded, turning back to Micah. "Not quite yet."

Micah huffed and shoved another log into the blazing fires beneath the smelter, jerking his face away from the heat and the burning ashes that could come with it. "If we wait any longer, it won't work."

"Patience," Kephra appealed to the pokemon. "It will come soon."

Micah turned his eyes to the bright autumn sky, the perpetual smog of the Black Pit Mines obscuring the beautiful sight. "I hope so."

The pair worked for a while longer, taking a break to grab a ladleful of water from the bucket nearby. Absalom stood back a distance away, watching like an eager staraptor. His hand was hooked on the whip on his belt. Kephra shrugged at him, as if asking if it was time.

Absalom nodded slightly and scratched the side of his muzzle with a single claw, the signal to begin their operation. Kephra turned to Micah, ladle in hand. "It's time," he whispered.

"'Bout time," Micah replied. He began to shout loudly. "Give me that!" he snarled, reaching for the ladle.

Kephra snorted. "As if you greedy guzzler! You already had two ladlefuls!"

"I'll show you two ladlefuls!" Micah made a motion to lunge at the blaziken but Kephra laughed, yanking the ladle cruelly away and with his other hand, shoving Micah back and away into a pile of empty crucibles. The raichu shouted an obscene gesture and charged again, his tail whipping from side to side as he lunged for a second time.

One of the guards, a monferno, began to wade into their argument, whip in hand, when Absalom stopped him.

"I'll take care of them," Absalom said, eyes hard as flint. "They've been going at it for a while now, so I'm going to take them to the supervisor and have him deal with these two, since our whips won't seem to cut it." Absalom added with a growl.

The monferno seemed to catch his companion's intentions and smiled along with him. "Okay, I'll let you and the supervisor have a little fun with them."

"Thank you kindly," Absalom added sarcastically, storming into the area, whip in hand. He managed to pull Micah off of Kephra, holding him by the scruff of his neck with his claws. Then, with Kephra, he snapped his whip out and managed to wrap the end of the whip around Kephra's right wrist. Then, reaching into a leather pouch, he pulled out what looked to be a single manacle and a chain. He clamped the cuff around Kephra's neck, mouthing "I'm sorry" to Kephra. He then yanked sharply on the chain, forcing Kephra to cough and stumble forward. With Kephra under control, Absalom did likewise with Micah. Absalom pulled them forward as he began to leave the smelter. The monferno watched with barely contained glee, but then suddenly realized that they would be short on slaves to man the furnaces. "Wait, what about the smelters?" he called out to Absalom.

"Just get some more," Absalom replied coldly, dragging Kephra and Micah behind him like animals on a leash. As they walked towards the supervisors headquarters, some of the guards lording over their charges began to hoot and holler at the sight, knowing full well where Absalom was dragging them to.

"Don't give them cause to suspect," Absalom said quietly to the pair. "And ignore them."

Kephra nodded curtly, wanting nothing more to snatch to chain from Absalom's hands and wrap it around one or two of the guards' necks.

The headquarters of the supervisor was a long, rectangular, two-story building made of flat, off white stone, clearly dirty from years of activities from the mine shafts. A more recent one-story building jutted out perpendicularly from the older building; the more recent building served as living quarters for the guards. The roof was low and wide, while the windows that lined the building were thin and narrow, with iron bars over them and dirty from the dust constantly filling the air. The headquarters served many purposes, from housing the supervisor of the mines, to the kitchen, to a weapon storage for the sentries, and to offices for accounting and administrating the everyday affairs of the mines. As Absalom and the pair of slaves neared the entrance of the building, the pair of sentries, each wielding poleaxes, studied the guard suspiciously.

"I'm taking them for the supervisor to deal with them. They're disrupting production of the metal ore and the refined product for a while now."

One of the guards, a gabite, grinned under his conical shaped helm, standard issue for the sentries. "Have fun with them." He gestured for the other guard, a linoone, to open the door for them. The linoone glowered at his companion, but did it nonetheless, allowing Absalom, Kephra and Micah to enter undisturbed.

Once the door shut behind them, Absalom sighed in relief. They were in a broad hall that stretched to either side of them, with doors lining them. A staircase at either end led upstairs. Absalom looked down each way, making sure none were watching. "Give me your shackles," he commanded quietly.

Kephra obeyed first and Absalom fished out a key from his key ring. He put it inside the lock and turned. It made a clicking sound that seemed to echo in the hall. He did the same thing with the second shackle. The shackles popped open and Kephra wanted to weep in relief. It was the first time in over two years that he had actually seen his wrists. Absalom shut them, but not all the way close. "That way, they can simply pop off with this button," Absalom explained, pointing to a small button right next to the lock. Absalom then did the same thing with Micah's wrists.

"Now, your necks, if you would." Kephra knelt and Absalom undid the chafing cuff around his neck. Like he did with the wrist cuffs, Absalom shut them once again, but not all the way. He did the same thing with Micah. "There," Absalom proclaimed. "That should do it. Now, let's go greet our supervisor, shall we?"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Absalom, with Kephra and Micah in tow, knocked timidly on the door of the office of the supervisor. The ursaring was pouring over papers strewn across his desk. The whip and his sword were within hand's reach. Kephra immediately began to study his movements, wondering which he would reach for first: the sword or the whip.

He assumed the sword.

Kephra began to map out his moves. _"I could reach out before he got it. But then I would have to portend with the whip. I could always cut the whip before he got to it,"_ he planned, imagining the ursaring going for the weapons. _"If I have to, I'll have to stab him, which wold send all of our plans smashing into tiny bits, but it is a necessity we'll have to make."_

". . .These two slave were bickering at the smelters," Absalom was explaining to the ursaring supervisor_. _"They've been at this for a while, disrupting our production and the other slaves, making it more difficult for them to toil under these conditions."

The ursaring seemed to be more annoyed at Absalom's intrusion. He glared at the charmeleon, one claw tapping the dark wood of his desk. "And you couldn't deal with this yourself?"

Absalom tut-tuted , trying to lighten the mood. Kephra was fiddling with the shackles, waiting for the moment to strike. "Because we already tried, sir. They're nothing more than stubborn pig-headed Sky scum."

The ursaring studied Absalom for a moment, like a scientist observes an insect. Absalom's heart pounded in his ears and he wondered if the supervisor suspected something. The ursaring's left hand started to inch towards the whip. "Very well then. If you cannot deal with them, then we shall make an example of them, no?" He cocked his head to one side, chuckling darkly. "I haven't done this in a while."

Then everything Kephra, Micah and Absalom planned went to pieces.

There was an audible thunk as Kephra's loosened shackle managed to undo itself and fall to the wooden floor. Absalom, shocked, dropped both of Micah and Kephra's chains, letting them rattle to the floor. The ursaring stopped, just as he was reaching for the whip, intending on whipping Kephra and Micah to inches of their lives.

Kephra froze. One of his shackles had just fallen to the floor.

"What is this treachery-" the ursaring began to growl, but Kephra had flung off the other shackle, rippng the neck chain off his neck. He held the loose end of the chain in his right hand and he launched himself across the table, his thick nails skittering across the wood, scattering the paperwork in a white storm of paper, as he launched himself at the ursaring, whipping the chain over his head. The chains thrummed as Kephra swung at the ursaring, who was now frantically scrambling for the sword. He had just managed to pull it halfway out of the sccabard when Kephra swung the chain in a downward arc, striking the ursaring on the right wrist, shattering all the bones in his wrist, slamming his hand to the table. The sword clattered from his hand and onto the floor. Absalom dove for it, grabbing onto the hilt and rolling away from the ursaring as he did so.

The ursaring yowled as Kephra brought the chain up in an upward motion, the neck cuff end of the chain hitting the ursaring on the bone just above his eye. Blood poured from the wound, splashing over his black and gold tunic, and the supervisor dropped back, his hands clutching his face moaning all the while, the chair he had been sitting in tipping backwards. He stumbled, trying to flee the vengeful slave, until his broad back was now pressed to the wall.

Still clutching his wounded eye, he happened to glance up at Kephra advancing towards him, the chain still spinning, the low thrum of the chain links a death knell to all who heard it. "Mercy! Please, have mercy!" he beseeched the wrathful slave, whose face had gone as hard as frozen granite, all light gone from his blue-green eyes.

"Mercy?" Kephra laughed mirthlessly, shifting the chain from hand to another, walking towards him ever so slowly. "You, who had given us no mercy, whipped us until we bled rivers of blood, deprived us of food and water when we didn't meet your lofty standards, beg for mercy?" The ursaring dared to nod and Kephra sneered, a chilling expression. The blaziken was now out for blood, his world, his vision now veiled by a blood red tint. His vision was now narrowed to a tunnel; all he could see before him was the gray blur of the chain whirling in his hands and the sniveling, cowardly supervisor crouching before him, blood seeping from between his claws.

"I give you none."

Kephra swung the chain once, the cuff of the chain hitting the ursaring under the chin, jerking his head up at unnatural angle. The supervisor slumped against the wall and fell over, his head now at Kephra's feet, neck broken. His red veiled vision faded away and he saw the blood staining his improvised weapon. Kephra stood there, the chain held loosely in his hands as he gazed down at the fresh corpse

"Oh holy All-Father, what have I done?" he whispered raggedly.

"Um, Kephra?" Micah called out to him, his chains and shackles long since removed. He glanced fearfully down the hall, the sounds of charging guards growing louder and more fervent. "We're going to have company!"

Absalom held the sword out with both hands, visibly shaking. He had never been in a real fight. True, he had fought with Rhion when they were younger, banging wooden swords and shields while playing soldiers, but nothing like this. And yet, the urge to fight was inexplicable, unexplainable when asked later. The flame at the end of his tail grew to a white hot flame, like the heart of a furnace. He clenched the hilt of the sword tighter, the leather hilt biting into the skin of his palms. "We don't have time to have you beg forgiveness!" Absalom snarled.

Kephra became aware once more and he looked around his settings. There was a chair just to the left of him and the table behind him, the papers that had seemed so important to the ursaring now splattered with his blood. Micah and Absalom were hovering in the threshold, sparks trailing off of Micah's cheeks, embers glowing in Absalom nostrils and the corners of his maw.

The first guards, the two who had been sentries at the door gawked at the scene before them. Acting only on instinct, Kephra knelt down and grabbed the back of the chair and flung the chair across the room, over Micah and Absalom ant at the guards. The wood splintered on contact and the guards staggered back. With his free hand, Kephra launched over the table, fire trailing from his limbs for the very first time in over two years.

Seizing the opportunity, Absalom sprang forward, ignoring the splintered pieces of wood. He deflected one of the guards' poleaxes with the sword he purloined, sending the poleaxe away in a wide arc, and the guard with it. Absalom then angled the sword down and sent the blade through the guard's back, through the thick padded shirt and hauberk. Broken chain mail links went flying and the guard slumped to the ground. The second guard, the zangoose started to back away when Micah sent a bolt of lightning at him. The bolt struck him fully in the chest and the guard was sent flying back fifteen feet, the metal he wore acting as a lightning rod, sending the electricity into his heart.

Kephra reached down and picked up the poleaxe the zangoose had dropped. He began to charge down the hall, into the living quarters of the other guards when Absalom shouted at him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he called out. In one of the charmeleon's hands was the ring of keys the ursaring carried.

Kephra stopped. "You free the slaves and rally them to action, I'll deal with the guards! And the weapons storage!"

"Let me go with you1" Micah shouted. "It's suicide to go alone!"

"Absalom needs you!"

"No! I won't do it!" Micah insisted.

Kephra was tempted to sigh at the raichu's persistence, but decided to let him go with him anyway. "Fine, you can come!"

Micah grinned, a smile that had eerily echoed Kephra's from only moments ago. "It'll be my pleasure."

"Okay, so I'll head out to the slaves and begin to free them and you deal with the guards!" Absalom saluted with his bloody sword. "I'll see you on the other side!"

"If the All-Father will grant it!" Kephra and Micah began to ran down the hall and to the newest addition to the headquarters, where the guards and weapons were housed, while Absalom ran out the way they came, praying the entrance wasn't overwhelmed with guards eager for his blood.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The guards in their quarters were sitting around a piece of wood and a empty barrel that served as a table, gambling and playing with crudely carved dice and the silver coins that served as the currency of the Tao Empire. The weapons were all along the way to Kephra's right as he kicked in the door, hunks of burning flying away. The guards ceased their game and turned around to find Kephra at the wall, picking out a longspear. He was definitely _not_ a guard. He hefted it and grinned, admiring the handiwork and the balance. Micah picked off a mace.

Kephra waved.

"Hello boys."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The mincino and the darmanitan chipped away at the iron vein in the wall, the pickaxes in their hands. The darmanitan hefted it in one hand, the shackles at her feet rattling as she did so.

"Shall we?" she asked eagerly.

The mincino, seeing her intentions, looked down the line of slaves laboring away. The other slaves caught the mincino's eyes and he nodded. One by one, the slaves lowered their pickaxes, gripping them tightly, fearfully, knowing full well that some would not live another day.

One of the guards, the rhydon, noticed the slowing of work. "What's going on!" he thundered, sending the whip which way and that. The slaves were now beginning to turn around, their expressions hard. The rhydon seemed oblivious, until he decided to whip the darmanitan. With extraordinarily quick reflexes, developed in the mines, ironically, she managed to catch the whip in her hand and yanked the rhydon forward, and drove one of the ends of the pickaxe into the stunned rhydon's chest. When he sagged to the ground, the darmanitan leaned in and whispered:

"We're breaking free."


	7. Chapter 5: Freedom

Chapter 5: Freedom

The guards had little time to react before the slaves were upon them, hacking away with their pickaxes and whatever was at hand, their grievances and anger for the guards bubbling forth like magma from a volcano. It could not be contained, the surge of slaves vying for their freedom. When one guard would cut down a slave, a dozen more would swarm, driving the guard under their combined weight, their crude weapons swinging away. Some of the slaves, now driven mad from the onslaught, began to sing, songs of their home and their towns and their people. Other slaves joined in and soon, the shaft was filled with the sounds of their voices, ringing in the enclosed stone walls along with the metallic pings of their pickaxes as they swung home.

But some of the guards were beginning to team up and in those cases, their experience as soldiers and bullies saved them. They cut the slaves down before them as if they were harvesting wheat and their claws and jaws dripped red with blood. They had no weapons, save their whips and whatever they had decided to carry with them. Weapons like swords and axes were useless in the mines; after all, what slave would rise up and force their hand? Some of the guards though, some of them had managed to wrest the pickaxes and other tools of the trades from the slaves hands and eventually, although they were vastly outnumbered, the guards began to turn the tides against them.

The darmanitan, the one who had begun the conflict, drove her pickaxe into the throat of a guard. The wartortle sunk to the ground, hands at his ruined throat. She blocked the heavy hooked claws of a zangoose with her fist and struck him in the stomach with the butt of the pickaxe, driving the air out of his lungs in a "whoosh". With her free hand, she used a "Hammer arm" attack at the guard's head, crushing it like a half-rotted melon.

"To me! To me!" she bellowed heartily over the chaos erupting around her. She jabbed her pickaxe in the air. "And we'll drive them out like the cowards they are!"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Kephra had managed to completely catch them by surprise when he entered their abode, chain in one hand and spear in the other.

"Hello boys."

A nidoking soldier managed to sputter out a command. "Get them!" he screeched, jabbing a meaty finger at them.

Kephra crouched, the chain starting to spin in his hand. He moved away from one guard's wild swing of a sword. He snapped the chain across an ampharos soldier's, legs, tangling him up and driving him to the floor. Kephra jerked the chain out from under his moaning form and struck him across the back. He pirouetted away from a kabutop's swinging scythe arm and he drove the spear through the soldier's abdomen. He pulled it out with a sickening noise and stopped when the nidoking's hand managed to clamp down on his chain wielding arm.

"Got you," he leered, a wicked looking axe in the other hand.

"So you do." Concentrating, he stroked his inner fires and his wrist burst to life in a bright corona, burning the nidoking's hand. He screeched in pain and whisked his hand away. Then, the chain wrapped firmly wrapped around Kephra's hand like a brass knuckle, he slugged the guard in the nose. Kephra spun on his left foot, sending his burning right foot into the nidoking's chest. The nidoking was knocked back ten feet from the force of the blow.

Micah, who had just sent his mace smashing into the kneecaps of a shiftry, mounted onto the nidoking's back, using his back spikes as grips. He pounded the spiked mace into the nidoking's skull.

"Thanks." Kephra acknowledged.

Micah nodded and threw himself into a cluster of soldiers, using the nidoking's back as a springboard, mace in hand.

A electabuzz hacked at Kephra with a hatchet, the weapon charged with electricity. The pokemon bent backwards underneath the ax blade as it whistled by, inches from his face. His right hand, the one wielding the spear, touched the ground and he kicked out with his feet at the electabuzz, sending him stumbling away. The blaziken propped himself upright, regaining his balance. As he narrowly dodged a mace, he stole a peek outside. In one of the mine shafts, slaves were beginning to pour out, driving their hated guards before them. Eventually, the rebellion would spread to the other shafts, an infection.

This was not an infection of injury, slavery and death though.

This was an infection of freedom.

Kephra, growing impatient with the guards before him, sent the spear into the upper chest of the electabuzz. He fell forward onto Kephra's spear, forcing it out of his hands. Kephra yanked it out from underneath the dead guard and spun around, waiting for the next guard to take on.

There was no one left, save Micah, standing near a pile of bodies.

"You did that?" Kephra asked, pointing to the corpses with his spear head. Micah nodded. "Remind me to never anger the jeweler."

Kephra strode over to the long rack of weapons, some of which were now scattered to the floor, and scooped up a handful, despite his own hands being full.

"Let's get these to the slaves before a real riot breaks out."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Of the near three hundred slaves that had rebelled in Shaft 8, a little more than a third survived the initial onslaught. The darmanitan that had set off the rebellion emerged from the main tunnel, a flood of slaves behind her. She blinked at the harsh light. It was afternoon and the sky seemed particularly bright. She looked back behind her to the slaves awaiting her command. Her heart sank when she realized that the minncino was not in the crowd.

"Now what?" A nuzleaf asked. He had picked off a dagger from one of the soldiers.

"We go to the other shafts, fully armed, and free them as well!" She pointed towards the building where the weapons were being stored. "And get some real weapons to fight against these cowards!"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The darmanitan led the swarm of slaves to the housing quarters of the Mines, where they were greeted by two very battered slaves, Kephra and Micah. She saluted the blaziken with her bloody pickaxe. "Greetings friend!"

"Greetings to you as well, my friend!" Kephra held his arms out wide, spear in one hand, the chain in another. "The battle goes well, I presume?"

She flashed her dagger like teeth, jubilant at their victory. "We left none alive to warn the other guards. We will swarm the other shafts, taking them completely by surprise."

"Good."

The darmnitan jabbed at the broken down door that led inside the guards' quarters. "I presume the weapons are in there?"

Kephra bowed dramatically. "Be my guest."

Then, the group heard a loud explosion and Kephra, Micah and the darmanitan tucked their heads, afraid of shrapnel whizzing by. Kephra scanned the surroundings, searching for the source of the explosion. He saw a plume of smoke near the entrance of the headquarters.

A low howl entered their ears, then increasing in pitch. Something was warning the other guards, Kephra didn't what though.

He suddenly remembered. "Absalom!"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Absalom blew down the door using a flamethrower, cinders and ashes whirling around him, the smoke created obscuring his person. He was confronted by at least a half dozen guards, armed. They made no move to attack and Absalom realized that they must have thought he somehow escaped.

"What's happening?" one of the guards, a houndoom, demanded of Absalom. "What's going on!" Absalom dropped the tip of the sword down, not answering. "I command you to tell me!"

"I think he's shell shocked," a crocanaw wielding a short spear whispered.

"'Shell shocked'? Is that the best think you can think of?"

In response, Absalom lunged at the nearest guard, slashing wildly, catching the soldier off guard. He went down quickly, multiple wounds to his chest and face. Spinning around, the flames trailing off his tail like a fiery comet, Absalom spewed white hot flames from his maw, catching some of them off guard. The flames managed to intersect the fires of his tail, exponentially increasing the range and width of his attack. Two of the guards were caught unawares and were engulfed by the flames, screaming as the fire seared their flesh.

_"Three down and more to come,"_ Absalom thought, vastly outnumbered. _"So this is where it ends then. Very well."_ He thumped the sword hilt against his chest and charged, roaring and screaming. The first guard managed to veer out of the way of Absalom's sword, but the charmeleon shifted his grip to a one-handed one and slashed with his hooked claws, snagging on the crocanaw's tunic and chainmail. The crocanaw crashed sideways to the ground and Absalom lashed out at his neck with his tail, laying the soldier low. The houndoom captain howled, drawing the attention of all the other guards and soldiers nearby.

"No!" Absalom screeched, leaping at him, grabbing the houndoom by the muzzle, cutting the hound pokemon off suddenly. The pair fell to the ground vying for control and Absalom lost his sword in the scuffle. He had to rely on his natural weapons and pray that his chainmail hauberk would be strong enough against the houndoom's teeth and claws.

The houndoom's back feet kicked into Absalom's stomach repeatedly ad his slavering fangs tried to get a hold around Absalom's throat. Absalom was attempting to push the beast away with his hands, but the houndoom managed to pin his right hand down with his front paw, the other planted squarely on his chest. Absalom kicked out with his back feet, catching the houndoom off guard and the beast slipped, allowing Absalom to scramble away. The houndoom who had since regained his balance pounced and the pair crashed to the dusty ground once more, sending dirt everywhere.

Absalom managed to reach around, and grab the houndoom by the beast's pair long curving horns and wrestled him to the ground, attempting to snap his neck. The houndoom struggled to remain upright, although his back legs were beginning to buckle under the strain. Then, the houndoom lashed out and struck Absalom in the abdomen, slicing through his tunic and chainmail, opening a long but shallow gash. The charmeleon yowled in pain and the houndoom, seizing the opportunity, lashed out again. This time though, the charmeleon could sense what he was planning and jumped away, releasing his grip on the houndoom's horns. He scrambled to reach for his sword, hoping to gain the advantage.

The second he had his back turned, the houndoom, pounced, claws extended and canines flashing in the afternoon sun—

—Until a chain came flying out of nowhere and crashed into the pokemon's narrow chest. The houndoom thudded to the ground and Kephra, spear in hand came running across the field, chest and pants liberally stained with dirt, dust and blood, screeching harshly as he ran. His crest feathers were ruffled and splattered with ichor, and his wrists were blazing with the force of a thousand suns.

The houndoom did not stand a chance.

Absalom watched in mute horror as Kephra pulled the spear out of the guard, offering a hand to the charmeleon sprawled across the dirt, hand only a few feet from his sword. The other guard had since fled. "Need a hand?"

Absalom nodded mutely and reached for it. When Kephra pulled him up, he noticed the shallow gash across Absalom's stomach. "You're bleeding," Kephra observed.

Absalom tried to shrug it off. "It isn't much. Besides, it has stopped bleeding." He winced when a spasm of pain went up his spine. "It apparently still hurts though."

All of the sudden, an arrow went whizzing by, nicking Kephra's bicep with the arrowhead. Kephra flinched and his hand went flying to the injury. "The guards have begun to rally, it seems." He remarked. His eyes went to one of the guard towers, shabbily built towers of wood with stone foundations, fifty yards away. They were firing arrows into the crowds of slaves, now beginning to emerge from the shafts. The darmanitan had begun to free the slaves of Shafts 7 and 5. The slaves slaves escaping were bewildered and the guards who managed to climb into the towers took the opportunity, firing arrows into the crowds.

"We have to stop them," Absalom urged.

"Strong enough to keep up?"

The pair storming to the tower were caught up to by Micah, who was now wielding a ax with a many notched blade. "What happened to the mace?" Kephra asked.

"I got it stuck in a skull of one of the guards and I couldn't get it out."

"Blood thirsty little jeweler, aren't we?" Absalom asked, bemused.

"Tell me about it." As the neared the tower, Kephra laid out his plan. "I can climb the tower while you two do everything you can to to destroy it."

"That is an insane idea," Micah argued. "If we destroy it, how are you supposed to escape it?"

"Blazikens have long limbs. I can leap." Kephra avoided a pair of arrows as he grabbed one of the struts of the tower. "Your ax, please." Micah dutifully handed over the weapon, exchanging Kephra's spear for his. "Keep an eye on my spear, please." Ax haft shoved into the rope belt for his pants, Kephra began to climb the tower, clinging close to the structure to keep the guard from firing at him.

Micah, now with Kephra's spear in hand, began to jab away at the guards that attempted to surround the base of the tower. He managed to strike a glancing blow in the side of a magmar and the pokemon withdrew from combat. Micah pulled the weapon away and noticed that wide, leaf shaped spear head was smoking, the haft nearest the metal the color of old soot. The magmar's skin had damaged the weapon. Absalom fought using a combination of his fiery breath and his sword, lashing out at those who got close. When the guards thinned out, Absalom turned his attention to one of the four main wooden struts that held the tower upright. He snarled and began to hack at the wood, chips and splinters flying past the charmeleon's head. Every now and then, he blew fire on his weapon until the blade turned a dull red with heat. He hacked away with the heated weapon, further weakening the tower.

Kephra avoided arrows of the guards and the occasional flying weapon from below. The tower "nest" was about twenty-five feet off the ground and Kephra fought the urge to not look down, lest he freeze from fear. Why he had decided to climb the tower rather than just burn it down with his fiery fists he did not know. "Maybe I'm just suicidal," he answered himself. He managed to scale the tower and was now starring down a pair of bow wielding guards. He reached for the ax wedged in his belt and threw it, catching one guard in the chest. He hurdled over the low wall the surrounded the "nest" and landed inside, extracting the ax out of the fraxure guard's chest. He snapped out with his left hand, claws digging into the arm of the other fraxure guard. The guard released his grip on the bow out of fear and with a grunt, Kephra threw the guard out of the tower.

At the base of the tower, Micah eyed the guard hurtling out of the tower. "I think now we can destroy it!" he told Absalom over the din of the chaos. More and more slaves were pouring out of the tunnels, encouraged to fight back and more and more, the guards realized that they were woefully prepared to fight such a large number.

"It will be my pleasure!" Absalom took a step back and spewed fire from his jaws, lighting the strut of the tower he had been hacking away. The wood of the tower lit up like kindling and the fire roared upwards, out of control, burning the intermediate struts bracing the corner struts. Pieces of the tower came crashing down in a fiery rain. One piece would have struck Micah in the head if it were not for Absalom tackling him and knocking the raichu out of the way. The spear he had been holding shot out of his grip.

Kephra felt the tower wobble as the fire consumed the rickety building. He braced himself against the side of the guard tower. The tower began to tilt to one side and Kephra had to escape before he was crushed underneath the debris. Using the low lying wall around the "nest" as a springboard, he flung himself out of the tower, legs flailing wildly in midair. He thudded to the ground as the tower collapsed behind him. He shook his head, trying to regain a sense of where he was.

Absalom and Micah ran to him, both covered from head to foot in soot and ash. "We need to get out of here!" Absalom shouted, glancing around. The slaves were now pulling down the towers and destroying the squat grey buildings they called home. "Before some of the guards escape and call for reinforcements!" he panted.

Kephra sat upright. "Do we go to the gate and take out the guards then? Besides, the entrance is over a mile away. I don't think we can just walk there."

"Then we get a cart." Absalom suggested, pointing at the stables. The rapidash and zebstrika slaves had rebelled alongside their bipedal counterparts. "I'm sure they can help us." Absalom and Micah pulled Kephra upright. The blaziken pulled out a long slender splinter that had entangled itself into Kephra's crest feathers.

"Let's get a cart then."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A zebstrika by the name of Song had no problem giving them a ride on one of the carts. "Some of the slaves are starting to destroy the tunnel shafts, to ensure that they are never used again." she explained to them as they thundered towards the gate the marked the entrance of the Black Pit Mines.

"That's a good thing, right?" Micah asked Kephra, who had found a new spear to replace the one he had lost in the wreckage of the guard tower.

"The Black Pit Mines were originally used as a penitentiary colony for the Sky Kingdom's worse criminals. When we win it back again, we'll have to rebuild the shafts, but I don't think the bureaucrats would have a problem with that. They're probably elated that we managed to take this from the Taos."

The cart shook suddenly and Kephra jerked his head up. Song, the zebstrika had been shot in the chest with an arrow. She stumbled and veered to one side, crashing to the ground and taking the cart with her. The three flew out of the cart. Kephra looked around to see whether his friends were alive or not. They were on the ground, moaning. They appeared to be unconscious.

Kephra turned his attention to the archer who had caused the wreck when he he spotted a familiar figure standing just nearby, bow in hand. It was the krookodile who had antagonized Kephra.

Kephra growled and gripped the shaft of the spear in his hands even tighter. The guard placed another arrow on the bow string, ready to fire when Kephra was on him, trying to stab at him with the spear. The krookodile dropped the bow and grappled the blaziken, forcing Kephra to lose the spear in the chaos. The krookodile flung Kephra boldly to one side, sending the former slave crashing into the upturned cart. His back lit up with pain as he slammed into it. His vision was blurry from the landing and he watched as the krookodile ran at him, jaws wide open. Kephra, in his daze had realized that the pokemon had blood on his maw and had probably killed slaves with his teeth. The realization had sickened him.

But what frightened him more was the realization that he was going to die the very same way.

Suddenly, a brown and red blur launched itself at the krookodile head, beating the pokemon with a rock it had picked up. The pokemon stopped and swung its head wildly from side to side, trying to loose the pokemon. Blood was seeping out from various cuts, the result of the rock cutting into his flesh. The guard managed to reach around and grab the blur, now identified by a watchog, by its tail and tossed it away. The guard shook his head, trying to get the ichor out of his eyes and began to charge again.

This time though, Kephra was ready. The spear in his hand was now broken from the wreck of the cart, but it did not mean it was any less of a weapon. He struck the krookodile in the head with the broken spear haft, sending the pokemon reeling away. The krookodile fell to the ground, tripping over Song's body. Kephra kept beating the pokemon with the spear haft though, the resounding cracks of the weapon off the guard's body a satisfying sound to the blaziken.

Kephra's vision began to narrow once again, like it had done when he was fighting the supervisor. Everything was veiled in red as he continued to beat the pokemon.

"This. . is for. . killing my father!" He emphasized each word with a strike.

"This is for. .killing my mother!"

Another crack.

"My. .brother! Akhum!"

Another hit with the spear.

". . .For Ezra!"

And another.

"For. . .Kara!"

And another.

"For. . .stealing. . .my home!"

And another.

"And. . .for destroying. . .my home. .land!"

And another.

"Kephra! Kephra!" Absalom's voice cut through the veil and Kephra stopped, the haft of the spear held high over his head. "That's enough!"

Kephra stepped back, the weapon slipping from his hands. He looked down at the black and blue body of the Krookodile at his feet. The guard had been dead for a while now, and Kephra had been beating his fresh corpse.

He heaved heavy breaths as he gazed around. The place was burning, the gate now becoming overrun with vengeful slaves. They had won this fight. He was now free.

The epiphany now struck home and he sunk to his knees. He held his face in his hands, the very same hands now free of their shackles.

And wept.

Absalom shook Kephra's shoulder violently. "We have to get out of here! Micah's hurt!"

Kephra jerked up. "He's hurt?"

A groan coming from Micah answered his question. The raichu had managed to drag himself up against the barrel, grabbing his right leg. Kephra ran over and knelt next to the jeweler. "What happened?"

"I think. . I think its really bad," Micah moved his hand away to reveal a deep and bloody gash running up most of his leg.

"We'll get you out of here," Kephra told him. "I'm not leaving you here."

"Then you better hurry." the watchog who had saved him said. It was a female, from what Kephra could tell. The pokemon looked familiar to Kephra.

"You rescued my brother from the shaft collapse," the watchog explained, before Kephra could ask. "He died though, but he told me about you, how you stayed behind rather than just running and leaving him to the mercy of the earth." She came over, bedraggled but aware, and shoved something in Kephra's hand. "He told me that if I met you, to tell you thank you." Kephra opened his hand to see a necklace. The pendant was an oval shaped stone, with the scintillating colors of red and gold. It was held by a leather thong. "Its called 'firehart', for it's colors." she looked at him with sad gold and red eyes. "It was his, but I wanted to give it to you."

"Thank you." Kephra placed the necklace around his own neck and lifted Micah up gingerly, bridal style. "I'm sorry about your brother."

"He is at peace now with the All-Father and the rest of our family." The watchog gestured out to the gate. "Now go! And help your friend!"

Kephra looked at Absalom, the supervisor's sword still in his possession and the charmeleon nodded.

"Let's go."


	8. Chapter 6: Dance with Fire

Chapter 6: Dance with Fire

Kephra and Absalom ran out of the Black Pit Mines as fast as they could, carrying their wounded friend in their arms. They were all but brothers in war now, fighting alongside one another for the same goal: freedom.

And now they had achieved it.

They ran until the sun was beginning to set in the western sky and they finally slowed down. The area around the Black Pit Mines was actually very lush and full of life; full of pine, alders, spruces, firs and other trees that made their way in the colder reaches of the mountains. Streams full of the run off from melted snow off the peaks wove their way through the mountain sides, carving miniature canyons as they made their way down. The air was crisp with the bite of late autumn. The season was much later than Kephra had originally realized during his tenure in the Mines, where all sense of time was lost on him.

"We should stop here for the night," Absalom said to Kephra, Micah still in his arms. The raichu jeweler had fallen into what appeared to be a fitful sleep. "So we can clean Micah's wounds." They were in a small glade off the beaten path the Tao soldiers had used to make their way to and from the Mines. Three boulders took up the bulk of the space and a small creek bordered one side of the clearing, but at this point, the trio did not care.

Kephra nodded and gently placed Micah down, propping him against one of the boulders. The raichu's eyes fluttered weakly opened and he moaned slowly, one hand going unconsciously to the wound.

"We need to examine it," Absalom told Micah softly, moving his hand away. The charmeleon probed the gash and Micah hissed sharply in pain. The wound was ugly and deep, on the outside of his right leg, but thankfully, no bones appeared to be broken; however, the wound was filled with dirt and clotted blood and they needed to clean it to prevent festering of the wound, a common occurrence on the battlefield.

Absalom turned to Kephra. "Go find some moss off of one of the trees and then dip it in the creek. We can use it to help flush the wound out." The charmeleon had wandered over to the river, to wash the dirt out of his parched throat. Fire-breathing had taken more out of him than usual.

Kephra nodded wordlessly and went off into the woods, seeking moss.

When Kephra was out of earshot, Micah spoke up. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

Absalom, who had been crouched at the creek drinking, sputtered out the water. "Of course not! The wound just looks ugly, the leg isn't broken and it can be thankfully patched up."

"But where are we going to get it patched up? We aren't anywhere near a temple or a village."

"I know some minor healing things," Absalom explained. "It's not extensive knowledge, but it is enough to keep you alive."

Absalom came over, water cupped in his hands. "We can start to do some cleaning, before Kephra returns." He poured some of water over the wound, washing away some of the water and dirt surrounding the opening. "This will also help me get a better look at it too." The wound was jagged, going up almost the entire length of Micah's leg.

"It's awfully ugly," Micah pointed out groggily.

Absalom bit his lip, wondering if he should say it. "Yes, it is." he admitted.

"I'm back with the moss," Kephra held up a wad of forest green moss. "I also found some kindling for a fire."

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Micah asked, concerned that soldiers from the road would see and recapture them.

Absalom mulled it over and then shook his head. "It would take a while to send soldiers here. Besides from what I could tell, no guard escaped the Mines alive. The only way they would be able to figure out what happen is if they send another convoy of slaves and soldiers, which could take a while considering that the Tao army is now becoming entangled in the Sky Kingdom's wilderness." Absalom took the moss from and Kephra and went over to the creek, dipping the moss into it. Once he declared it sufficient, he came back over and gently dabbed at Micah's open wound with the moss, cleaning it as best as he could. The raichu hissed and groaned as Absalom cleaned.

"Must it be so painful?" he asked between gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry," Absalom replied helplessly. "But it has to be done before it festers."

Kephra crouched and watched quietly, placing the wood he gathered into a small but tidy pile. He attempted to light it with a spark off his fingers, but it failed to to light the partially damp wood. He attempted it a few more times before he growled in frustration and reached for Absalom's tail and sticking the tail flame into the pile of kindling. The plan worked and the pile of kindling burst into flame, giving the charmeleon some light to work by.

"Hey!" Absalom protested. "That's attached you know."

"I know, but I couldn't get it to light up. I figured your tail would be the best option." Kephra explained.

Absalom yanked his tail out from Kephra's grip and continued to work at Micah's wound. "I wish I had something to tie the moss with." he muttered under his breath.

"Tie the moss with?" Micah asked, curious. "Why would you need to do that?"

"It would help absorb blood should it start bleeding again, plus it will serve as a bandage, keeping the fester out." Absalom handed Micah a piece of moss. "In the meantime, keep this pressed to your leg and we'll clean it out again later."

"Must we?" Micah grumbled, holding the moss to his leg.

The trio sat around the fire, each absorbed in their own thoughts. They were free yes, but they were woefully unequipped for survival, armed with Absalom's sword and a knife that Micah had pilfered off a corpse, and carrying a wounded comrade. It was a grim situation, but it was far, far better than working as slaves in the Mines.

Kephra decided to speak, the sounds of silence too much for him at the moment. If he was quiet, he could hear the sounds and cries of battles, the moans of the dying and wounded, the clash of metal upon metal. He begged for sound, lest he would hear that in his head. "What are you going to do now, Absalom?"

The charmeleon was quiet. "I don't know," he said finally. "I can't go home exactly. It's so far away." He fiddled with one of the errant pieces of kindling. "I helped arrange the rebellion and your escape. I'm a traitor to the Tao Army now. Nothing more than a Sky sympathizer," he added mournfully. "And you?"

"I'm not sure either." Kephra admitted. "I never expected to ever escape Black Pit Mines. I toyed with the idea when I was first enslaved, but as time wore on, I gave up on ever being free. Now that I am though," he paused. "I don't what to make of myself.

"All I know though is that I'm going to get my home back, the home of my father and his father before him. I'm getting it back, even if it means joining the Sky army, or whatever is left of it, and fight the Taos, no offense to you," he added hastily for Absalom.

Absalom shook his head. "I'm no Tao, not anymore. I killed fellow soldiers. I guess that means I'm a Sky rebel as well." Absalom added derisively.

Kephra snorted and studied the flames intensely, watching their dance upon the kindling. He watched the blue cores, the centers of the fiery dancers, flicker in and out, alive for only a moment before being wiped out of existence. Stories have been told of fire pokemon being able to read the flames, to tell of portents past and future, tearing away the veil of mysticism and revealing the profound truths of the universe. It was a rare ability to have such a thing, hence, the stories.

"Kephra?" Absalom called out. The blaziken looked up, the heat of the flames comforting on his person on this cold autumn night. "I. . .I didn't offend you, did I?"

Kephra shook his head. "No, I never really did consider you a Tao in the first place. You neither, Micah."

"Well good," Micah snorted. "Because I was never a Tao in the first place, remember?"

The comment brought a smile to their faces, the tugging motion at the corner of his mouth feeling out of place on Kephra. He imagined his lips and face cracking at the gesture. "I can take the first watch," Kephra said.

"Then I'll take the second watch," Absalom added, lying down in the dirt, tail tucked in around him.

"And me?" Micah asked.

"Rest," Kephra told him. Micah muttered something under his breath about "being babied", but closed his eyes nonetheless, rapidly falling asleep.

Kephra remained awake, watching the ever moving fires. His mother, Selene, had told him the tale of the "fire-readers", those who could seek the fortunes of those around them in the fires. She told him of a arcanine in her home village who had the ability. She told him how he would fall in a trance while staring at the heart of the flames. The arcanine would stare into the heart for hours on end, only to come out of it confused, prophecies on his lips. She had seen him do this once, shortly before she had met his father.

"Fire-readers have a very special gift," she had told him one cold winter night, Kephra sitting on her lap as she told him tales of mighty warriors and legends, the pair sitting at the cheerily burning hearth fire. "But they must use it wisely and carefully, for not all wish to hear of their futures, nor of their past."

"But why not mama?" Kephra had asked, a torchic then.

"Because," she had fumbled for an answer, a reason. "Because not all wish for their secrets and desires to be exposed."

"Could I be a fire-reader mama?"

Selene, in her infinite wisdom, had smiled at her youngest son, a curious one, and a caring and sensitive one. "If the All-Father desires for you to be a fire-reader, then a fire-reader you shall be."

Kephra sighed, the memory fading from his mind. His mother had truly cared for him, his father on the other hand, only cared if he had a place. Akhum was the heir, Ezra the priest. Kara was to marry another and be the queen of her household.

Kephra, well, Kephra was the extra, the accidental son. Ahkom had desired for him to be a soldier in the Sky Kingdom, to carve out a career like he had. Kephra had been too sensitive for war and combat, and the rather strict lifestyle of a priest didn't appeal to him either, thus, leaving him in flux, much to his father's disapproval. _"How ironic now,"_ Kephra mused to himself, looking down at his hands, imagining the blood dripping from them. Turned out he wasn't _that_ sensitive to war. _"Take a look at me now father!"_ he imagined himself calling to the skies, now black with the covering of night, the thousands upon thousands of stars twinkling in reply. _"I am the warrior you finally wanted!" _

He wanted to cry now, emotions from two years bubbling up. But he ignored it; there would be time for mourning later. He reached around the fire and pulled out the knife from the earth, where Absalom had sunk it. He stood up, stretching his long legs and wandering into the woods. Absalom, ever the engineer turned soldier, would disapprove of Kephra leaving the site Kephra however, had some personal business to deal with.

The stars provided little light for him to see by, so the blaziken concentrated on his left wrist, the flames coming to life. The woods this time of night were dark and foreboding, dark shadows, the grounds around their thick, gnarly trunks occasionally lit up by the night sky, showing. Yet, despite this, the woods were full of life, evident by the sounds and noise around him. The fires on his wrist flared to life and Kephra concentrated once more so that they died down to nothing more than a glow. He held his hand up, using it as a torch to light his way. He was looking for something, something important.

Every now and then, he would examine a branch, then discard it. None of these would do; they were much too soft. But then, he stumbled over a large branch and he crashed to the ground, cursing said branch and its ancestors, imagining horrific things to inflict on them. He got off his hands and knees and brought his wrist close, examining the object that had caused his fall. He almost burst out laughing when he saw it. The branch was long, straight and sturdy, about six feet long and two inches across in diameter. Kephra reached for it, tugging on it to remove the extraneous branches and leaves that had fallen on it. The branch looked old, which was perfect, for the blaziken had no time to season the wood. He plucked it off the ground and headed back the way he came, smiling for the second time that day about his good fortune.

He knelt back by the fire of their campsite and began to work. Using the knife, he hacked off the twigs and smaller branches that extended out from the main branch. He worked slowly, getting the knife as close as he could to prevent little knobs from appearing on the shaft. The work was soothing and relaxing, cutting away at the excess branches, smoothing it down as best as he could. If he had a professional set of tools, he would have found some grit, to further smooth down the shaft. He hefted the branch, satisfied with the progress. It would serve for the time being.

He then began to whittle away at the top of the staff, shavings coming off and dropping off into the flames, which devoured the pieces like they had been offerings to primordial gods. The blaziken continued to work, until he had a tapering point about seven inches long. To keep the wood from splitting at the worst time, he held the end over a flame, in a process called fire hardening. The tip was close enough to feel the effects, but not close enough to catch alight. Then, he buried the tip into the earth underneath the fire, further hardening it. The entire process brought back numerous memories to the surface, some good, some painful. When he had been a boy, a combusken, a friend of his father's, a sceptile, had come to visit their estate. The sceptile had been a famous fisherman in the Island Nation of Obliverae, a common practice among the people there. His father's friend had decided to teach a young Kephra the art of spear fishing. Of course, the sceptile had different ideas than most spear fishermen.

"Now Kephra," the sceptile had told him, the pair sitting on the riverbank of a nearby swiftly flowing stream. "Many fishermen use harpoons for their trade, staffs of metal and bone, but not I. I think the use of metal alters the taste of the fish. So, I use wooden spears."

"You do?" Kephra had asked. "How do you make them?"

The sceptile had chuckled. "I'll show you."

Kephra pulled the improvised spear from the fire, testing the point of the weapon. It was sharp, pricking his fingertip when he tested it. A single droplet of blood dripped down his fingertip, landing in the fire.

And then he saw it.

Visions, dancing in the heart of the campfire. He was taken aback, thinking it was merely an exhaustion induced hallucination, but he leaned in closer, to get a better picture. There were images of a hill, three figures attempting to climb it, ferocious figures after them. Then, of a coliseum, towering over shorter buildings withstanding the test of time. He saw inside the coliseum, of a lone figure with th silhouette of a blaziken raising a spear to the sky, then dropping it to the earth below. Lastly, of a ghostly figure enshrouded in a white and gray robe, the cowl obscuring its save save for its haunting gold eyes that seemed to pierce right through Kephra, into his soul, even though the blaziken knew it was merely a trick of the flames.

_"Seek me, and I will give you all that you wish for,"_ the figure told him, turning its face to gaze upon Kephra with its golden eyes. The stranger in the fire held up one hand, revealing a clawed hand. _"And I will_ _bring justice to the land once again."_ the ghostly stranger vanished, taking the other visions with it. Kephra blinked, utterly amazed at the events that had just transpired.

"Am I a fire-reader?" Kephra wondered, the spear clattering from his hand. "Or am I imagining things?"

"Hmm?" Micah stirred from his sleep, heavy-lidded eyes peering at Kephra. "Did you say something?"

"No, don't worry about it," Kephra reassured him. "Go back to sleep."

Micah closed his eyes once more, falling into a fitful sleep. Kephra studied the fire, wondering if the vision would return. He doubted it and reached for Absalom, to awaken him for the next watch.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

He was a soldier by trade who had risen up to the rank of general by a young age. He was ruthless and efficient, a rare combination in his world. General Rufus Tiber, emboar and commanding general of the Tao Army, gazed out at his army, currently camped at the entrance of a valley. They had recently conquered the resource rich Taso Valley, known as the "breadbasket" for the Sky Kingdom; their progress was slowed unfortunately, but rain, an unfortunate side affect of fighting a war in the autumn, but it was what the Fire and Thunder Emperors, Reshiram and Zekrom, demanded. The downpour had turned much of the area into mud, mucking up the wheels of their siege engines and supply wagons. General Tiber had ordered the soldiers of his four legions to cut down the forests that rimmed the Taso Valley, using the wood as planks to help move the siege engines out of the mud.

As a fire-type, he disliked the rain, but it was a necessity. Thankfully, his bronze hued, centurion inspired armor covering the bulk of his girth blocked out most of the rain. The feathered crest on his Corinthian styled helm, however, was suffering from the steady downpour, drooping over on one side. The tendrils of the crest tickled his boar like nose, eliciting a snort. His cape, bright red and going to his feet, sagged with the weight of the rain.

"Blasted rain," he cursed, his heavy-set claws fingering the haft of his weapon, a massive double bladed ax that could cut through nearly anything. It was a gift from the Tao Emperors, a reward for his initial excursion into the Sky Kingdom. One head of the double bladed weapon was stamped with the pattern of flames, a faint red and orange enamel coated over it, the symbol of Reshiram; the other head was stamped in lightning bolts, enameled in gold, the symbol of Zekrom. Kyurem had been neglected in the design, for he had disappeared shortly before the war.

"Sir?" it was his personal alchemist, Siegfried, was an alakazam, with long drooping whiskers an a pair of half moon glasses perched on his snout. The pokemon was dressed in the long, draping white and gold robes that signified his high ranking in the Tao Empire's Council of Alchemists. Those of the very top rank wore red and gray robes. He carried a oaken staff mounted with a hunk of transparent rock crystal, a very rare mineral, and pouches full of his alchemical supplies. He did not carry the twin spoons that were so common among his kindred, preferring his staff to project his psychic energies through.

General Tiber snorted once again, turning his head to acknowledge his assistant. "Can't you make this blasted rain go away?"

"I'm afraid I cannot," Siegfried turned his head upwards at the sky. "I may be able to transmute stone to mud and metal from a liquid to a solid, but I cannot control the elements. I am, unfortunately, not an elemental alchemist like so many of my comrades."

"Harrumph," General Tiber grumbled. "Then why do I have you around again?"

"Because I am a telepath and have the ability to predict and prevent those Sky rebels from assassinating you in your sleep. Plus, I was sent here by the Tao Empire Council of Alchemists _and _the Tao Emperors-"

General Tiber dismissed his statements. "Very well then." He gazed out at the hundreds of tents camped and the numerous siege machines at his disposal. At the moment though, due to the steady pouring rain and the thick woods surrounding their post, they were able to make little progress into the heart of the Sky Kingdom. "All-Father thrice demned rain."

Siegfried held one clawed hand to the temple of his forehead, closing his eyes. "Sir, some of the commanding officers wish to see you. They are concerned about the progress of the army and their dwindling supplies."

General snorted derisively. "They're always complaining about something or another. They'll probably whine about the rain next."

Siegfried chuckled at the remark. _" Like you are, General?"_ he thought, then added, out loud. "Would you rather walk there, or shall I teleport us?"

"Teleport us, if you will. I would rather stay out of the rain as much as possible."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Siegfried teleported the pair to General Tiber's tent, where the other commanding officers, known as "praetors", were waiting. The pair of guards keeping watch over General Tiber's tent saluted smartly, their armor clinking, their spears clattering, the sounds muffled by the rain. General Tiber ignored their efforts, sweeping past them and storming into the tent, a dark look on his face. Siegfried scampered hurriedly behind the general, apologizing profusely, holding onto his glasses and flapping robes, all while juggling his staff.

General Tiber was greeted by about six praetors, the leaders of the six legions General Tiber brought with him in the initial assault of the sky Kingdom. "Well?" he sneered, half-tempted to beat them to a bloody pulp for daring to defy and question him! And in defying him, they were defying the wishes of the Tao Emperors, who had specifically appointed him for the task of invading the Kingdom of Rayquaza. One praetor, an absol dressed in pale bronze armor, the helm emphasizing his crescent shaped horn, spoke first.

"General, there has been fermenting discontent about the campaign being led."

"Like what?" General Tiber growled, seating himself in a large chair constructed of carved mahogany and cedar, the back and seat covered in plush red velvet. He unsheathed his ax and placed it across his lap, one hand resting lightly on his weapon.

When the absol struggled to foment a response, a golem, dressed in only bracers and a helm to protect his face, continued. "Many of them are unsatisfied with the progress of the campaign and are displeased with the quickly dwindling rations."

"They are." General Tiber leaned back in his chair, the structure creaking under his girth, more muscle than fat. He was turning over an idea in his head, one that would cease the seeds of rebellion from taking root in his army. "Very well then. Who exactly are the main instigators of these "rumblings"?"

"Soldiers mainly," a bisharp praetor offered. "But a handful of officers as well."

"Bring those soldiers to me," General Tiber commanded. "And have them air their issues with me directly."

"General?" the absol queried. "What are you planning to do with them?"

"I'm only going to have a little discussion with them." General Tiber replied, slowly getting up from his chair, careful movements that belied his girth, suggesting years, maybe decades of training his body to the peak perfection, showing off his control and strength without actually _showing_ it. He gestured to the praetors. "Now, be off and bring those soldiers to me."

They nodded and scurried out of the tent, leaving General Tiber and Siegfried alone. Siegfried settled himself in a cushion across from General Tiber, next to a large table, maps sprawled across it. "Sir?" Siegfried asked cautiously, his almost timid response breaking the heavy silence.

General Tiber, who had since seated himself once more, stirred. "What is it, Siegfried?" he snapped waspishly. He had been concocting a plan, and he did not need the bookish, if logical alakazam intruding on his thoughts.

"What exactly _are_ you planning?"

General Tiber turned slowly to him, a malicious smile highlighting his massive tusks, one of which was broken at the tip. "I'm figuring out how to deal with these would-be dissenters. I cannot have a rebellion stewing in my ranks, especially when were so close now, now can we?"

Siegfried shuddered underneath his robes and it wasn't because of the cold dampness of the environment. "You mean to kill them."

"Publicly." Tiber corrected him.

Siegfried swallowed before he spoke. "But wouldn't that just create _more _rebellion?"

"You are disagreeing with me?" General Tiber said, a dangerous tone creeping into his voice.

Siegfried squirmed under General Tiber's steely, if piggy-eyed, scrutiny, making him extraordinarily uncomfortable. "What I mean—what I—what I meant was that it would be very costly for you to kill those soldiers, and then have to do it again because some other soldiers, and possibly costly, well-trained officers, rebelled against you."

"I know full well what I'm doing and if other soldiers decide to revolt as well, then I'll strike them down as well. We'll be receiving more legions within a fortnight, so what is a few soldiers to me?" Tiber shifted his chair to the table and the sprawling, hand-inked map. Small figurines made of pewter and painted in bright colors, representing the Tao Empire's legions, were scattered across the map, pinpointing the locations of the legions. He dismissed Siegfried with a wave of his hand. "Leave me. I will call you when I need you."

Siegfried nodded curtly and started to leave, when his foot caught on the edge of his robe and the alakazam stumbled, muttering under his breath about "tailors" and "hemming" as he left.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

** General Rufus Tiber's name comes from a couple of places. The first is that the word "Rufus" means "red" in Latin. Incidentally, many Roman Governors and King William the II of England were known as Rufus—a nickname in King William II's case. Tiber is a river in Italy, and since the Tao Empire takes many of its inspirations from the Roman Empire, the names seemed very fitting.**

** The Tao Empire's army is also based off the Roman style, with legions and centurions and praetors and what not. A legion is made of 6000 men and at the moment, General Tiber has six legions under his command, with two more on the way, equaling to around 21,000 soldiers( he has lost about three thousand soldiers since his campaign began) which includes medics, cooks, engineers and alchemists, with 12,000 more on the way.**


	9. Chapter 7: Prizes of War

Chapter Seven: Prizes of War

Kephra woke that next morning, his hands clenching the improvised weapon he had constructed. Absalom was probing Micah's wound, checking to see if the fester had set into the gash yet. It was still incredibly painful for the raichu. "I wish I had my mum here," Absalom wished. "She would be able to take much better care of it than I could."

"How bad?" Micah hissed, waiting for the pain to subside. The wound throbbed, sending waves of pain up his leg and side.

"I don't see any major infection," Absalom concluded after his examination. "But in order for it to fully heal, we would need to stitch it back up. And I don't have the right supplies for that."

"Great," Micah muttered. "I'm getting old for this."

Kephra snorted jokingly at the remark. "Aren't we all?"

"Me more than you, thank you very much."

"Should I carry him?" Absalom asked.

"That would be a good idea," Kephra glanced down at the spear in his hand. To carry Micah and the weapon would have been too much to juggle.

Micah pointed at Kephra's spear. He clenched his small fists when Absalom lifted him off the ground. "You did that last night?"

"Yeah, we were pretty much defenseless until now."

"How did you do it so fast?" the jeweler whistled.

"A friend of my father was a well known spear fisher and he taught me how to make your own spears. It's crude and might break, but it will do, at least I can find myself a decent weapon." The blaziken kicked the remnants of the fire, scattering the ashes to the winds, lest the guards pick up on their trail. "We should get going and hopefully, we'll come across a village and get the proper care for Micah's leg." Kephra gestured dramatically to Absalom. "Since you probably know this better than I do, lead the way."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

She darted along the tops of the branches, her paws light as a feather as she danced across the trees. The cloak she wore to banish the rain flew behind like a pair of indigo and black wings. Her silver medallion clanged against her chest. She paused in her tracks, perched precariously over a cluster of branches, her pale blue eyes surveying the scene below. It was a supply train, going to feed the Tao armies, trundling slowly down the road, the wagons pulled by tauros and bouffalant. There were about three score soldiers patrolling the wagons, eyes open and wary. "They never do look up," she told herself quietly.

She snorted, her ruff around her neck twitching with her movements. This would not do, Zalya thought to herself.

"Perfect," she muttered, formulating the plan in her head. According to the spies of Rhianu, the supply train would be passing this way, but it was too early, not enough time to plan everything out; she would have to improvise then.

She eased her way out of the tree, already creating the illusion to conceal her body. She would be disguised as a little igglybuff, wandering the forest looking for her big sister. The thought of an older sibling brought a pang to her chest and Zalya changed it. The igglybuff would be looking for her aunt instead. She adopted a periwinkle colored paisley dress, all the better to fool her enemies with.

She landed on the ground, near the edge of the road with a thud and she fought, for a moment, to maintain the illusion with the impact. She dusted herself off and wandered towards the wagons, hoping the guards would see her plush pink form before they ran her over with the thick heavy-set wagon wheels.

Thankfully, an infernape astride a zebstrika caught sight of her. He appeared to be the leader of the party, bearing the standard of a legion Zalya didn't recognize. He wore gilded armor molded close to his body, encasing him like the shell of an insect. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

Zalya sobbed horrifically. "Please help me! My aunt and I were in the woods, looking for berries and she fell and hurt her leg! She told me to go get help! Please help me!" she begged.

The infernape studied her for a moment and Zalya feared he sensed something. He was pressed for time, delivering supplies to General Tiber's army, but as a soldier, he was taught to treat the locals, despite their loyalties, with respect. After all, they could turn against you at any moment. "Why are you and your aunt all the way out here?"

"We live in a very small cabin that my uncle built. With my parents gone away. . ."Zalya trailed off, sniffling once or twice during her monologue, hoping to fool the infernape.

The soldier released the reins of the zebstrika and slid off the zebra pokemon, handing the standard off to the handler of the first wagon. He offered a hand to the igglybuff, really Zayla in disguise, so she could take him to where her "aunt" was at.

As Zayla took his hand, she began to pull him off the side of the road, the signal for the rebels. Then, out of the darkness of the forest, a bolt flew and took the soldier in the neck, the feathered shaft lodging all the way to the fletching. The soldier sank wordlessly to the ground, hands reaching in vain to pull the offensive item from his throat. Arrows then flew at the wagons from every direction, sending the supply train into chaos. Tauros and boufalant attempted to flee the scene, but were shackled by the massive collars they wore, chaining them to the wagons; therefore, when they fled, they dragged the wagons with them. Soldiers attempted to fight back, raising their shields to deflect the arrows aimed at them; however, the arrows sunk home more often than not. The arrows were fletched with black feathers, the shafts dyed black, to hide in the shadows as they flew to their targets.

Then, the rebels materialized out of the trees, bearing cloaks of greens and grays for camouflage, the cowls of the cloaks obscuring their faces. They bore weapons of steel, the reflective metal dusted with ash to not give away their positions. There were about a dozen total, wielding their swords with a swift efficiency that was evident of experience. One of the soldiers, clearly the leader of the band, wielded an unusual weapon, a sword that curved in a sleek sickle shape. It was referred to as a _khopesh_.

The soldiers, now with actual targets to combat, pulled out the short swords that were standard issue to the Tao armies. Their armor proved effective against the blades, but not the black arrows that hummed in the air, each and everyone finding their mark. Tao soldiers fell to the earth, their lifeblood sinking into the dusty road.

Eventually, the grove fell into silence.

The bandits swiftly went to each wagon, removing the supplies inside with precision. Other rebels came out of the woods now as well, their longbows resting across their backs, assisting the foot soldiers with the movement of the pilfered supplies out of the wagons and into the forest. Other rebels bent and plucked the arrows out of the corpses of the Tao soldiers. Every arrow was precious to them. None could be wasted. Every now and though, an arrow could not be salvaged and they left those where they were, a message to any passerby.

Once the supplies were completely removed, the rebels moved to the corpses, removing armor and weapons, coinage and even their shoes. The leather could be used for armor and straps and any metal could be melted down. They dragged the bodies to the empty wagons and placed them inside in unceremonious piles. The rebels, satisfied with their progress, pushed the wagons to the side of the road, out of the way for travelers, but still a reminder for the would be Tao conquerors.

The leader of the band removed her, revealing a lupine face, blue, with a black "mask" around her eyes. A single earring was in her right ear. She sheathed her weapon. "Congratulations Zalya, you did it again."

The igglybuff nodded and she dropped her illusion, revealing a small fox like pokemon, coal gray, with red accents and pale blue eyes, a zorua. The paisley dress she wore changed back to a cloak that covered the bulk of her small delicate frame, her silver medallion still on her chest. "Thank you Rain. They were too easy."

"Aye, and we got a large amount of supplies from this one as well. General Rufus will be quite upset with this one, especially since we apparently managed to pilfer his favorite ale as well." She patted a nearby barrel, clearly marked with both the stamp of the Tao Empire and of the brewery. Rain smirked. She was a lucario and the leader of their merry little band.

"One of these days, they'll be smart enough to send a bigger force, and perhaps to be more cautious about innocent little pokemon on the side of the road," Zalya said, looking at the pile of bodies in the wagons.

"Let's pray that day never comes."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

They trio managed to find their way into a small mountain town alongside of the road leading to Black Pit Mines. The day was beginning to fade into twilight, the merrily winking lights of the town enticing the three. Micah moaned, half-conscious in Absalom's arms. The jeweler had worsen throughout the day, feverish. Absalom had sworn that there had been no fester setting in, but Kephra had surmised the raichu was how he was due to blood lose. Either way, they had to get help and fast.

They crept to the edge of town, towards a good-sized two story building made of wood, with a stone foundation. A few shingles were missing, with more on their way to falling off, and the windows were lit form the inside out, inviting and warm. A faded wooden sign of a prancing venasaur swayed back and forth with the slightest breeze.

Kephra turned to Absalom. "What should we do?"

The charmeleon shrugged as best he could while carrying Micah. "I don't know, investigate, I guess."

Kephra released his spear, any notions of a fighter gone. "I'll take a look. Stay out of the way." Absalom nodded and melted back into the shadows, his reptilian eyes glowing in the night. Kephra crouched and snuck close to the building, to get a better look. It seemed busy enough, judging by the sounds coming from within. He squatted by an window that opened out to the gap between it and a old well. The smells of warm home cooked food enticed Kephra and his mouth watered at the thought. Even more so when what smelt like a chicken pot pie was placed on the windowsill. It was too easy. The scents of flaky dough and the warm gooey insides proved too much for the starving blaziken and he peeked up, to see if anybody was watching. Once he deemed it safe, he grabbed the dish pan, the pan still much too hot to handle and he struggled to keep it from dropping, but he couldn't, because this could be the only meal he would get.

"What are you doing?" Kephra froze, the hot dish in his hands. He turned his head to find a matronly miltank scowling at him, like he were a petulant child caught with his fingers in the pie. "And what are you doing with my pie?"

Kephra's mind raced as he tried to come up with an decent excuse. He had none. "Please help us," he pleaded.

"Help? Help with what?" she asked, not buying it.

"I can't say here. You have to come outside." Kephra gingerly placed the pie back on the windowsill, blowing on his hands.

She studied the blaziken, taking in his scruffy appearance, including his gaunt frame and the dried blood on his person. She suspected something was happening without her being aware. She always knew everything going on in her small mountain town, whether her information was gained through town gossip or just simple intuition. She nodded and wiped her hooves on her apron, formerly white, now an off white with grease stains, flour and all manners of dirt and grime splattered all over it. "I'll be there in a second." she disappeared from his view and he carefully peeked his head inside the window, to track her. The inn and tavern—the latter he presumed—was busy tonight, filled with what appeared to be locals and out-of-towners looking for a place to stay for the night. His mouth went dry when he studied them. There were Tao soldiers among her guests, the gray, black and white tabards unmistakable. Either they were soldiers from the Black Pit Mines on a holiday, or soldiers coming in to the Mines. At the moment though, Kephra didn't care.

The miltank interrupted his thoughts. "Would you care to explain why you were snatching chicken pot pies off harmless inn owner's windowsills?"

"My friends and I were escaped slaves from the Black Pit Mines. We haven't eaten since we fled and my friend is injured and we need to get medical supplies for him. Please help us."

The miltank, who happened to be shorter than he, eyed him up and down, from his gaunt, slender frame to the blood splattered pants and feathers. His blue-green eyes were alight with a fire that was uncommon among the common folk, feverish, almost. "Normally, I wouldn't believe such tall tales like that told to me, but in this case, I'll make an exception. There is a stable a little ways that way," she pointed in a northwesterly direction, to a dark lumpy shadow about sixty yards away."It's empty tonight, so you can stay there. Go there and I'll meet you later."

"Thank you," Kephra gestured to Absalom and Micah, who had been hiding close by. "Come on, let's go." The trio began to head over to the stables when the miltank called out:

"And take the pie with you. You look like you could fall over with a sneeze."

Kephra smiled wide, the small token of kindness too much for him. "Thank you, and may the All-Father bless you and your endeavors." He picked up the pot pie on the way to the stables, not caring whether the pan would burn his hands.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The three huddled in the darkness in one of the stalls of the empty stables, Absalom's tail providing some light in the darkness. The fire cast everything into harsh lights and stark shadows, morphing things into monsters and other forms that should not be there. The stench of musty and old hay filled their nostrils, as well as the pot pie Kephra had placed on the ground. He borrowed Micah's knife and cut the pie into three large portions, passing them to Absalom and Micah. Micah was lucid now, the smells of the pie enticing him, Kephra had teased. Absalom inspected Micah's leg once more, but he had nothing on his person to clean the wound.

The trio froze when they heard the stable door creak open and a torch light appeared in their view. Kephra had sworn that there had been no one in the stables, or so the inn keeper had said.

"Hello?" Kephra let out the breath he had been holding. It was the inn keeper, the matronly miltank. She approached them, a cloth sack in one hand, the torch they had seen in the other. "There you are. I was afraid you had run off." She hovered in the threshold of the stall, waiting for their invitation. "I brought some more food for you, and some canteens." she wiggled her shoulder and four canteens clinked against each other, their contents filled with some unknown liquid. She caught a glimpse of Micah's injury. "The All-Father have mercy! What happened?"

"It happened when we were trying to escape the Black Pit Mines," Kephra explained, as Micah had a mouth full of pot pie. "We don't have anything to help treat it though."

"Well, if it doesn't get stitched up soon, it'll get the fester," the inn keeper frowned. "Here, take this and I'll be back." She placed the canteens and satchel down and left the stables. Kephra reached for the bag first, upending the contents onto the ground. There were some apples, about half a dozen small loaves of breads, dried meats of an unknown variety and a wheel of cheese just short of a foot wide.

"Oh bless her!" Absalom praised, cradling one of the loaves of bread in his hands. "Bread, and cheese!"

Kephra sniffed one of the canteens. "The canteens have water in them, which is just as well, since we really don't need alcohol at the moment."

"We can save the bread and cheese for tomorrow," Absalom suggested. "And finish the pot pie tonight. I imagine that the pie will be plenty for us."

"Indeed," Kephra agreed, nursing a piece of the pie. He hadn't had a decent meal in over two years and too much food would be too much for his stomach. He wasn't sure if he could even polish off his piece of the pot pie, but he had to, since food wasted was both a tragedy—according to Micah—and a signal to any wold be pursuers.

The torch returned once more, the innkeeper holding another, smaller satchel, one that could be carried over one shoulder. "Here, there are some needles, thread, and some medicine from one of my more frequent customers. He gives me supplies in exchange for my pies." she added, chuckling to herself.

"Do you know how to stitch up a wound?" Absalom asked her.

"Not for something that horrendous," she replied, kneeling next to Micah. She had since placed the torch into an old sconce at the entrance of the stall. "But I could sure try." She rummaged through the bag to pull out some thread, a slender needle made of old bone, the material yellowed with age, a small spool of black thread and a pair of small crystalline bottles. "Take a swallow of this." she told Micah, handing one of the bottles over.

"What is it?" Micah asked her, reaching for the bottle.

"Whiskey," she replied jokingly. Micah dutifully took a swallow of it.

"Hey! It _is_ whiskey!" Micah proclaimed, surprised.

"Maybe I should take a swallow," Absalom offered.

The miltank shook her head and clipped off a long piece of thread with a pair of tiny shears. "Your tail, please," she asked Absalom. The charmeleon obliged, shifting his tail flame so that the inn-keeper could use is as a source of light. Then, she popped the cork off of the other bottle and dipped the thread inside, holding it in there for a few seconds. She then did the same with the bone needle. Finally, she pulled a piece of cotton from the satchel and dipped that in there as well. She began to dab at the wound with the soaked cotton. Micah hissed sharply and was tempted to jerk his leg away.

"By all the Legendaries that burns! What _is_ that?"

"The herbalist calls it "anti-septic"," she fumbled over the unfamiliar word. "It burns the fester out of your leg."

"I think it's going to burn my bloomin' leg off," Micah cursed through gritted teeth. After what seemed like an eternity, the burn subsided and the miltank began her work, threading the needle and tying a knot at the end of the thread. She slowly, but surely, began to stitch the ragged edges of the wound back together. Micah clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as she pulled the needle through the ragged skin, sewing them together. Kephra, watching the scene unfold, could tell she was somewhat experienced, but not experienced enough to sew up a wound of this magnitude. Kephra wondered if he should say something along the lines of getting the town's mysterious herbalist, but decided against it. He did not want to seem ungracious to the one who could have very well saved Micah's life.

She finished up the last stitch and tied the excess thread into a knot and then clipped the end of the thread with the shears. "There, I think that should do it." She busied herself with cleaning up the bottles and needles. She placed them in the small satchel, then hesitated for a moment. She finished cleaning, then handed the satchel off to Absalom. "You'll need them much more than I will. I can get another set from the herbalist."

Absalom took the small leather satchel, amazed at her generosity. "Thank you for this."

She nodded, smiling broadly. "You're very welcome. The Children of the Sky must look after their own, correct?" She continued. "Besides, the "anti-septic" can be used every morning to help keep your friend's leg clean of the fester." She got up from her kneeling position, brushing the bits of hay and straw off her apron and self. "I must go tend to my guests. Hopefully, they haven't completely destroyed my inn. Good night and good bless."

After she had gone, the three turned to each other, near stupefied at her charity. Micah studied the freshly stitched up wound. "It's a miracle," he whispered, eying the crisp clean stitching, as if she had done the stitches on a quilt.

"I hope it holds up," Kephra remarked marveling at the stitch job.

"Should we have a watch?" Absalom said, asking the question on all their minds."

"I'll take it," Kephra offered, reluctant to tell them of the Tao soldiers at the inn.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be alright. If you want, you can take the second."

"Very well," Absalom buried his form under a pile of musty straw leaving his tail sticking out to prevent the possible chance of a fire. It stunk, but it was as luxurious as a rich cotton sheet to the former soldier. Micah leaned back in another pile, still muttering under his breath over the "marvelous job" the inn keeper had done.

Kephra leaned back against the low wall of the stall, one hand resting lightly on his spear, his blue-green eyes peeled for the soldiers in white and black.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

She sat back in the corner of the inn, her eyes—well, eye, anyway, absorbing every detail around her. She was blind in her left eye, nothing more than a milky fog, a mess of scars crossing her body, a road map of her life. A heavy metal choker rested about her neck, itching horribly, but it was a slave's lot, to wear such a collar until one dropped dead or was freed, but more than likely, it was the latter.

She eyed her slavers, Tao soldiers destined to make a living at the Black Pit Mines. She was a personal slave to one of them and as such, was forced to go along. Serena frowned at the thought of spending the rest of her days serving the whims of her capricious captor and should she not die from injury, illness or exposure, it was to be a long time. The soldiers were clearly drunk, for she could smell the heavy plume of alcohol reeking from them, casting a pallor over that part of the inn. She was to be served scraps from them, or, if they were considerate enough, some of their meal. A dead slave was a useless slave, they told her many times, during her early days of enslavement when she would rather die than to serve such monsters.

But, according to them, she committed a crime and as a result, was forced to serve out her punishment under their yoke.

Serena turned her attention to the other parts of the tavern and inn, watching the patrons and servers of the place. A hot steaming chicken pot pie was sitting in a windowsill and at times, she could catch a waft of it through the haze of alcohol. It was delicious and at times, her stomach rumbled, imagining the delights that laid inside the pastry dish. She caught something though, with her good eye. A stranger , a blaziken, was hovering by the windowsill, a pained expression on his face as he studied that pie intently. He reached out and began to slip the pie off the sill, until Serena caught the stranger with the offending item. There was an exchange and at last, the miltank allowed him to make off with the pie.

Serena was struck by the exchange and while she could not hear it, it intrigued her, stoking her curiosity. So, seeing that her captors were well on their way to be becoming blind drunk, Serena decided to sneak, to see what the fuss had been all about.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It didn't take long for her to find the source of the pie; Serena could smell it all the way from the inn. The pie was at the stable, where probably the blaziken was as well, whoever he may be. She found a small hole in one of the walls of the stables and crawled under it, to find herself in a very dusty and musty stable. There were hay bales stacked almost to the rafters, the earthy, heady scent reaching her nostrils. Serena sneezed, her nose itching quite horribly. She could not see the entirety of the place from her vantage point, so, she decided to climb a nearby pile of hay bales, to get a better view. She clambered on one of the shorter bales, her puffy tail straight as a rod, using it for balance. It was an arduous climb, but she had at last managed to find herself on top of a large pile of bales. In one of the stalls, she caught the soft glowing light of a charmeleon's tail, as well as a raichu and the blaziken from earlier. The miltank was patching up the raichu for some injury or another, as the other two ate slowly.

Serena decided to get a closer look, hopping to another pile of bales to listen in.

After a short while, the miltank left, leaving the three alone. Serena got a good look at them. They were thin, the raichu and blaziken bearing the marks of former slaves, seeing the scars on their wrists and ankles. They must have escaped, Serena determined, for a freed slave would have found shelter among the normal folk, rather than hiding themselves from the world. Their fear was palatable even from this distance. The blaziken carried a spear, clearly of homemade construction. They were discussing something, something about 'keeping watch'. They _were_ escaped slaves, fearing retribution from their captors.

Serena felt a pang of envy. It wasn't fair! They enjoyed the sweet taste of freedom, albeit bittersweet, and she could not. The iron collar never felt so heavy around her neck at the moment. A plan sprang to her head. Maybe, just maybe, the Tao soldiers would be kinder to her, if she were to alert them of the escaped slaves. Maybe, they would free her, in exchange for her information.

A nauseating taste sprang to her throat. If she were to think about it, she and they had much more in common, all of them being slaves at some point or another. To snitch on them would be a sickening thing to even consider. Serena mulled her options over, seeking a compromise.

She would tell the Tao soldiers of her discovery, but only after the slaves had fled the area. A good compromise and both of them could win in the end: they could escape and she could be free.

The bale wobbled suddenly and Serena froze, panicked that the bales would tumble down and crush her under the mass of hay. She had to leave, and quickly. So, she hopped off the highest one and nimbly made her way back down, inching back under the hole in the wall, to make her way back to the Tao soldiers, who were probably now in a drunken stupor.

**For those curious, yes, I do know how to stitch up a wound. It is not quite like the process the miltank uses, but considering that she does not make a living of this, it is understandable.**

** Another thing, some real life animals exist in this world. Cattle, chickens, geese and most farm animals (save horses), along with many species of fish live here. Basically anything that could be eaten without offending somebody is consumed here. We can't have cannibalism now can't we? **

**The OC, Zalya the Zorua belongs to The Imaginatrix. **

** Serena the Eevee belongs to Hazelblossom.**

**Reviews, please? The reviews are lonely and want some new friends to hang out with; you don't want to make them sad, do you?**


	10. Chapter 8: Fight or Flight

Chapter 8: Fight or Flight

Kephra was awoken that morning by a frantic shake on the shoulder. He had apparently fallen asleep while on guard duty and had forgotten to wake Absalom for his shift. His eyes shot open and he reached for his spear, heart hammering in his chest. It was just before dawn, the outdoors the murky gray with the twilight before the sunrise, where everything is cloaked in the fading fragments of night. He looked up to find the inn keeper looking down at him, her expression panicked.

"You have to leave! Now!" she hissed.

"What do you mean?" He asked, fearful but groggy all at once.

"I think some of my guests found out about you, but I don't know how or why yet." she explained, her words in a rush, like a dam breaking under toe force of a river.

"The Tao soldiers?" Kephra clarified, sitting upright with a start and she nodded.

"What do you mean, Tao soldiers?" Absalom replied, the medicinal satchel over one shoulder already.

"I had spotted some Tao soldiers in the inn," Kaphra said, almost chagrined. "I thought though, that we would be able to just grab some food, and a place to stay without their notice."

"Well, that's a shame," Micah snorted, hobbling on his leg. The stitches seemed to hold up and his leg looked much better than before, not nearly as swollen and red. "We need to leave now then."

"Agreed." Kephra shouldered the pack from the previous night. He turned to the inn keeper. "We thank you for you help. Without you, we would be much worse off than ever before. May the All-Father and his children bless you and your endeavors."

The inn-keeper nodded and handed what looked to be a walking stick, shaved down to Micah's height. "This will help you walk." she told the raichu. The raichu nodded, throat too tight for words. As the trio hurried out, the inn keeper grabbed Kephra by the wrist.

"I am so sorry for bringing this down all on you, but before you leave, I want you to remember this: "The Murkrow flies in the forest"."

Kephra was baffled by the statement. He stopped. "What?" he asked, wanting for some clarification.

She shook her head, not giving an answer, and shoved him roughly forward towards the exit. "Go!"

Kephra stumbled but began to ran behind his compatriots, into the dusty gray world of the dawn.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

She returned to the main camp, loot in hand. Her rebels had constructed sleds out of willow branches, tying them together with whatever they could find. Some had lashed their bows to the sleds, using the bow as a yoke as they pulled them through the forest. The day was beginning to break into evening, the sun beginning to set over the horizon. The main camp was built in a clearing just on the other side of a low mountain range, which were more like a series of rather large and sheer hills. Some of the camp was in the clearing, but the large majority of the site was built into the woods, camouflaged by the local landscape. The camp was a five day trip away from where General Tiber's army was currently camped, about sixty to seventy miles away, depending on the route they took. The emboar would have his tusks in a twist if he were to find out how close they were, Rain smirked.

"Which he won't," she told herself. Supposedly, according to her father, General Tamar Imasu, the army was to move out and help reinforce an old fortress complex known as Fort Karydos, named after the lord who ordered the construction, who, had been a famous warrior in his youth. Rain studied the patchy tents pitched in the clearing, tens upon tens of them in tidy rows, making some vague semblance of an army. They reminded her of a mismatched field of mushrooms, sprouting up in the aftermath of a rainstorm. Their efforts to make a true army were in vain, Rain thought to herself. War wasn't won on a battlefield where the armies lined up and then charged. War was won in shadows, with the deprivation of food and soldiers a little at a time, of wraiths striking and then vanishing, leaving corpses in their wake, so that by the end of the war, the enemy is terrified of their own shadows, fearing that someone or something will lash out.

_That_ was how wars are won, Rain thought. Her adoptive father didn't quite agree with it, a source of contention between the two, but he was considerate to allow her to wage her little "shadow war", he had called it. It was, at the moment, the only way he held an advantage over the piggish general, until Imasu was able to face the general face to face on . Someday he would see things her way, Rain hoped.

She stopped a fellow soldier, a blastoise carrying a basket of iron and tin ingots for the smiths at the forge. Thankfully they were so far away that not even the sharpest eyed pidgeot could not see their smoke. "Is General Imasu here?"

The blastoise nodded. "He's in his tent. He's making some final preparations with some of the commanding officers for that move to Ft. Karydos."

"Right, thank you." Rain left the pokemon alone and made her way through the maze of tents to find her adoptive father's, a large squarish tent the color of bright red with gold thread. Two poles with the standards of his former unit, the 41st Legion, a pale blue banner hanging down, with the gold and black silhouette of a ship on dark blue waves. The other pole was of bronze makings, the gold statue of the Skyking, Rayquaza, wrapped around like a caduceus, with rubies for eyes. Her adoptive father had disliked the gaudy tent the second he laid eyes on it. It had been a gift from the Steward of the Sky Kingdom, Merrow, so General Imasu had to keep it, despite his protests and rumblings about "burning the gaudy, ostentatious thing", in his words, more or less.

Just then, the flap of the tent flew open and her father stepped out of the tent. Unlike other members of his species, he nearly spent his time on his hind legs, finding it easier to manipulate his weapons, a pair of swords made of shell, carried on his forearms and a second pair of shorter scimitars made of metal, stashed away in a bright violet sash around his waist. He was able to fight with both sets of weapons handily, following the belief that "one is none, two is one". His fur was the deep blue hue, not unlike the depths of the ocean, darker than some of his kindred. Shell armor the shade of fresh cream covered his forearms and legs. He wore an elaborate but simple set of lacquered armor on his chest, shoulders and hips, very much in the Oriental style seen in the eastern spans of Kanjo. The armor was made of metal scales, layered on top each other to allow for flexibility but provide maximum protection, with a large metal cuirass covering his chest, the scales of metal hanging off of the cuirass, around his shoulders and hips. The armor was then lacquered with various shades of blue on top another, giving the appearance of the scintillating depths of the oceans. He decided to not wear his shell helm, lest he accidentally impale someone on it, he had told Rain. His large whiskers on his muzzle and snout were perpetually waxed, the wax imbued with a light, spicy note of the bay scent in the wax. The smell of bay was one Rain always associated with him. He was a samurott and at the moment, High General to the remnants of the Sky Kingdom's army.

"Ah, Rain," General Tamar Imasu held his arms out wide to envelop his daughter in a hug. He was not her real father. During a campaign along the sky Kingdom's western coast against the corsairs, he boarded a merchant ship that had recently been pillaged by the pirates. All the members of the ship had been brutally slain, save for a tiny riolu pup he found stashed away from the chaos. He had decided to raise the pup as his own daughter, since he had just lost his wife and son to illness. "I take it that your expedition go well?"

Rain nodded, allowing the older samurott to embrace her. "Very well. We managed to take another supply train right from under ole' Rufus' whiskers."

General Imasu chuckled at the thought. Since the start of the war, General Tiber had been keen on capturing General Imasu, then placing the samurott's head on a pike, the two having a convoluted and twisted history in their many interactions with each other over the years. Thankfully, the samurott had been clever enough to evade the emboar at every turn, managing to pull victory out from the jaws of defeat many times. He gestured her inside his tent. "Take a rest. The journey must have been arduous."

Rain shook her head. "Not as arduous as one would think, father. I've received word from Rei and his cronies that General Tiber is planning to move the siege engines towards the valley, using his troops to protect them."

Imasu shook his head. "If Tiber even gets a third of his siege engine near Ft. Karydos, then we're doomed. Very well, get as much information as you can plan the next operation. I have an army to move."

Imasu began to enter his tent once more, gesturing for Rain to join him, when she stopped him. "I have a request to make of you, father."

"What is it?"

"Zalya, my zorua spy, wishes to know if there is any word on her brother, Len."

Imasu's head drooped and Rain's heart sank. Len had been one of their better spies and saboteurs; however, at the battle at the ford near the city of Titus, Len, had been captured by the Tao soldiers. Since then, there had been little or no information on the zoroark.

"Can you come inside?" Imasu asked his daughter and she nodded. He gestured her inside and followed her in, shutting the flap behind him.

Rain sat in one of the cushions inside of the tent, reaching for a piece of bread and an apple. Imasu sat across from her, forearms across his knees. "I received word from Nimblefingers that yes, Len was indeed captured at the ford of Titus. He managed to masquerade himself as a noblemen from the Twin Monarchies of Kanjo and convinced the soldiers to ransom him at the Lapidus. He is now residing in the quarters of Viiker, the High Magistrate of the Empire"

Rain whistled at the sheer amazement of Len's ingenuity. He had been an actor before he became a spy, working with a local company before coming into General Imasu's services, along with his younger sister. "So he managed to survive the sacking at Titus, and is now working as a spy in the Magistrate's house?"

"Yes. Ingenious, isn't he?"

"And why haven't you told Zalya yet? She has spent almost a year believing that her brother is dead."

"Because," Imasu explained. "If she were to get word that her brother is alive, but behind enemy lines, she would fight tooth and nail to rescue him. I already lost one good spy, I don't want to lose another." He shook his head. "Perhaps someday, once we can get our footing again, we can get a rescue operation for Len, but until then, I can only pray to the All-Father and his Children that Len is smart enough to keep himself alive."

Rain nibbled at her apple, her appetite returned somewhat. Len was alive, but trapped in a gilded cage in the Magistrate's home. Now what?, she wondered. "What about Kurai?" she asked Imasu.

General Tamar Imasu shrugged, his pair of scimitars clinking in his sash. "Kurai has dropped off the map since I sent him off his mission northeast. I haven't heard anything from him in nearly two fortnights."

"Could he have deserted?"

"I doubt it. Vengeance for his sister is too strong for him to flippantly join our cause. He wants every Tao soldier to bathe in their own blood. I doubt he would simply disappear because he found something new to do."

Rain leaned back, arms crossed. "So now what?"

"Meet with Rei and his band of trouble-makers and see what they'll cough up for information," Imasu told her, getting up from his seat. He made his way over to a table placed in the back of the room. A large vellum map, the edges yellowed with age, placed across the top. He leaned over it, his eyes studying it. Rain took this as her sign to leave and she did so, taking with her another piece of fruit and a small piece of cheese, the apple a bribe to be used later.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

They made their way through the woods, panting and looking over their shoulders, waiting for the white and black tabards to materialize from between the trees like ghosts. Micah's leg had since given out, too much wear for the day, forcing Absalom to carry him piggy-back style, with Kephra in the lead, slashing and hacking through the undergrowth using the charmeleon's sword. It had been nearly five days since the miltank had warned them. Five days and four nights of running, with only small breaks for rest and food. They had since polished off the rations the miltank had given them and they had been forced to forage for berries and use Kephra's spear for spear fishing in the streams. The woods around them were ancient, the trunks gnarled and thick, telling the trio stories of their lives, storied that Absalom, Kephra and Micah had no desire to hear.

They stumbled upon a swiftly flowing stream, wild with the mountain runoff, soon to freeze with the breath of winter. Absalom hesitated, looking to either side of him for an easier, shallower way to pass through. There was none. The water was too high for him to pass through without extinguishing his tail, inevitably killing the chameleon. "We need to find another way!" Absalom shouted to Kephra. "I can't go through without killing myself!"

"I know!" Kephra shouted back over the roaring stream. "We'll have to travel south and find a shallower place to cross!"

"Lead the way!"

Kephra nodded and trekked south, Absalom and Micah behind him.

They had wandered south along the banks of the stream until they finally came across a ford shallow enough for Absalom to cross. In order to pass safely, they decided to hold hands as they crossed the bank, to make sure that none of them would be lost in the stream. Absalom precariously held Micah up with one hand while he clutched tightly to Kephra's, praying silently that he would not lose his grip.

Finally, the trio made it across, the rags that passed of as clothing sopping wet and cold. Kephra shivered with the cold bite of the water, but carried on, nevertheless. Evening was beginning to set on them, bringing with it even colder temperatures. Any sane person would settle for the night, but they couldn't, not without fear that the Tao soldiers wouldn't be upon them.

"We need to rest," Absalom panted, clearly exhausted.

"But where?" Kephra asked.

"I don't know, that's the problem."

"How about the trees?" Micah suggested. The two fire types shot him looks. "What, you've never climbed a tree before?"

"I've climbed a tree yes," Kephra told him. "Never slept in one though."

"Besides, how will we keep from falling out when we fall asleep?" Absalom argued.

"You sleep in a nook. It is possible to sleep in a tree and if I learned one thing, people never look up."

Kephra turned to Absalom. "It's unconventional, but it's brilliant," Kaphra admitted. Absalom nodded in agreement.

"Who gets to climb first?" Absalom joked weakly.

"You can. We can see your tail once you find a spot." Micah suggested.

Absalom sighed. "Then give me a boost." Kephra knelt, cupping his hands like a step. Absalom gripped the trunk with his claws, his left foot on Kephra's hands. His tail was stiff as a rod, to keep his balance, while his other foot was out to one side precariously. Kephra slowly lifted him up as Absalom gripped the trunk as he did so. The closest branch was about six feet above the ground and to Absalom's right. The charmeleon reached out with his hand, claws digging into the branch. Using Kephra's hands as a springboard, the former soldier launched himself onto the branch. He clung to it, his tail dangling over the edge, but he was solidly in the tree. He quickly disappeared into the depths of the ancient wood, his tail like a fiery brand, a falling star in the forest. A few minutes passed and Micah and Kephra waited anxiously for Absalom.

Soon, Absalom slid back down onto the same branch. "I found a large nook," he panted. "We can get Micah up first, then you." he told Kephra.

"Good idea." Kephra scooped up Micah, much to the raichu's protests, handing him off to Absalom. The pair went up into the tree, with only Absalom's tail to light the way. Then, Absalom cane back down.

"If you would follow me," Kephra nodded and slowly started to follow after the charmeleon. Kephra dutifully handed the spear to the charmeleon and he followed suit behind him. He gulped loudly as he slowly conquered each branch. Why did he even listen to these two? He hated heights. Right, it was his paranoia about the Tao soldiers that drove him to this. At least he was alive, half frightened out of his wits trying to sleep the All-Father knows how many feet off the safe solid ground. It was better this way than to be captured and either enslaved once more or worse, dead.

Absalom guided Kephra to a rather large hollow in between three very large branches. It was enough to comfortably fit the three of them without fear of falling out and it safely hid Absalom's tail away from any unwanted visitors. It would do for the night. Kaphra silently praised the All-Father for the small blessing and vowed to burn a candle in thanks.

"Welcome to our humble abode!" Micah joked, his walking stick resting across his belly. Kephra snorted and clambered into the hollow next to him.

"Well, this is remarkably cozy," Kephra admitted, the temptation to scream and climb back down almost too powerful to fight at this point. His fists were clenched as he fought to control his breathing and heart rate, which was slowly quickening the longer he sat in the tree. He did not wish to know how high up he was. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to shut out the dizzying feeling that was threatening to overwhelm his senses. It was like the world was careening out of control.

Kephra felt a slight paw resting on his thigh and he peeked over to find Micah looking at him, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I hate heights," Kephra said, recalling the tower at Black Pit Mines. When he had been a child, he had climbed a tree, chasing after his brothers, but fell on one of the higher branches, gashing his chest and arm horribly from the branches clawing at him. Then, when he hit the ground, he then struck his scalp on a rock. The scar was still there, since hidden by his crest feathers.

"Maybe we should not have done this then." Absalom said, crawling in next to them, his tail loped lazily over his feet.

Kephra shook his head. "It is better to be alive and frightened, than to be safe and dead."

"You're crazy, you know that?" Absalom told him. Kephra merely shrugged, his concern for survival overriding any possible common sense the blaziken might have. He yawned, tonight to be the first long rest in nearly five days. "Well, I'm off to bed. Night." the charmeleon closed his eyes and fell asleep, snoring softly, the fire on his tail dimming to a soft glowing ember in the dark. Micah did likewise, leaving Kephra wide awake and in between his two companions. He tried closing his eyes, but he realized that he was far too awake to follow his comrades into sleep, despite his body's protests.

He leaned back in the hollow, looking up. The leaves on the trees were beginning to fall off, leaving the bare skeletons of the branches piercing the heavens with their shadows. The wind was cool across the downy feathers that covered most of his body, yet he was warm, thanks to the body heat of his companions and the heat emanating off Absalom's tail. That tail, Kephra realized, had done more for them since their escape from the Mines. He should memorialize it somehow, Kephra joked to himself. His glanced down at his person. His pants were ragged at the edges and covered with more stains and rips than he cared to count. Kephra surmised he must have reeked horrifically as well, considering he hadn't had a decent bath in a very long time, more than two years. He had time to occasionally wipe himself clean, using whatever water he could scrounge, but nothing with soap. It was a needless and useless necessity, working day after day in the dusty, dirty mine shafts.

He scratched the hollow of his neck and his claws clinked against the necklace the slave had given him the day of the Black Pit Mines' destruction. He had forgotten about the piece during their flight, the stone resting lightly on his body, so light he had forgotten it. He carefully pulled the leather thong over his neck and dangled the stone over Absalom's flame, truly studying it for the first time.

The stone wasn't very large, about two inches long, in an oval shape. It was a pale shade of crimson red, with streaks of gold and dark red, giving if the appearance of fire, hence its name, "firehart". As Kephra studied it further, he swore he saw specks of blue and white in their as well, like the very heart of a fire. Towards the top of the stone, the watchog owner had cut out a crude hole, allowing him to tie the leather thong on it, making a necklace from it. He cradled it in the palm of his hand, wondering if all his recent encounters with fire were somehow connected to this, or if the Legendaries had decided to mess with his psyche, considering his species' natural affinity with fire.

He held it for a few more moments, the stone feeling warm as it sat there, like an ember in the palm of his hands as it absorbed the heat from the flames. He wondered how the watchog obtained such a simple and beautiful object. It could not have been a family heirloom, for the guards would have stripped it off his person as he entered the Mines. More than likely, the watchog uncovered it while working in one of the mine shafts and tucked it away from the view of the guards. The stone seemed to calm him, distracting him from the realization that he was, indeed, many feet off the ground. He fiddled with the smoothness of the stone, running his fingertips over the smooth surface, feeling every bump and groove, every crack. There were very few. He eyed it a little longer, seeing how the flames flickered and danced across the smooth surface, bringing the inner depths of the stone to life, the colors seeming to dance along with the fire's movements. He then reluctantly placed the leather thong back around his neck, one hand still clinging to it.

His heartbeat and breathing had slowed down, thankfully and Kephra settled into the nook of the tree, finally closing his eyes and lastly, falling asleep.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He was awoken the following morning by Micah, shaking his wrist. Kephra managed to sit upright. During the night, a fog had rolled in, obscuring everything the wasn't directly in front of them. The world seemed damp and gray, the water droplets resting on their skin and feathers.

Just then, what sounded like a piercing howl broke through the murky silence, freezing their blood with fear.

The Tao soldiers had found them, it would seem.

"We need to get going," Absalom whispered harshly. "If they find us here, they'll have us pinned and we won't be able to go anywhere."

Kephra only nodded, no words needing to be said. Absalom clambered out of the hollow first, the sword strapped across his back in a makeshift scabbard. Kephra helped Micah out next, handing the walking stick to him. Then, Kephra climbed out, his shin banging against one of the branches. He inhaled sharply as his leg stung, but said no words. Fear had closed on their throats like an icy claw, their minds racing in a muddled mess as they considered their next move. Kephra decided that he would climb down first and Absalom and Micah would follow suit, Absalom assisting the injured raichu in every way he could.

His hands clenched tightly around each branch as he slowly climbed down, the threat of a misstep or missed branch due to the fog making the agonizingly slow climb even more so. The bark scraped against his person and his clothes and Kephra swore an errant twig or two created another rip in his already ragged pants. His right foot made contact with the earth at last and Kephra wanted to kiss the ground in relief, no matter how cold or wet it was. Something fell to the ground next to him, bringing twigs and dried dead leaves with it. Absalom had tossed his spear down from the hollow. It was a miracle that it did not break during the fall. Kephra kept it at his side as he waited for Micah and Absalom to make their way down as well.

Another howl echoed in the woods, sounding louder than before. They were getting closer, but hopefully not close enough to catch their scent. Eventually Micah and Absalom made their way down, first Micah, assisted by Absalom, the charmeleon following suit. To further keep the guards away, Absalom dimmed the fire on his tail, until it was nothing more than a small flame, barely enough to penetrate the fog.

"Which way?" Absalom asked, panic in his voice as they realized that they more than likely would not be able to discern any direction in the fog. They could barely see the sun, the fog was so thick, and they there fore could not use that as their point of reference.

"If I remember right," Kephra said, pointing. "We were heading that way last night, so we should head that way."

Another howl echoed in the fog and Micah shuddered with fright. "Let's get going then."

** Kephra's fear of heights has been noted before, so it isn't something new :D.**

** And I really enjoyed writing that previous chapter for some odd reason. I think it was the motherly miltank, haha.**

** For Imasu's armor, it is largely based off the armor worn by the samurai in the later periods of their rule, when their technology was more developed. The only problem was describing it, since I could not mention the country of Japan, obviously. The Twin Monarchies of Kanjo do have some apparent eastern influences in their design, so I made the allusion to it in the desctiption.**


	11. Chapter 9: Of Slaves and Soldiers

Chapter 9: Of Slaves and Soldiers

** Many apologies for the delay in the release of this new chapter. It would seem that school and life decided to happen simultaneously, including a surgery earlier this week. I still hurt—I can't really do much with my abdomen—but I am well enough to release the chapter. So, enjoy!**

The fog showed no signs of letting up as they fled through the woods, the trees as dark splotches of shadows. The sun was only a thin sickly disk above them, but with no way of telling which direction the sun was heading in. The trio were as lost as ever, and the sounds of the Tao soldiers close behind. The woods were silent that day, with not even a bird chirp in the cold dead forest. The silence was a small blessing though, for Kephra could hear the soldiers crash clumsily through the trees every now and then. He had no way of telling where they were or where the Taos were headed, a fact that Kephra disliked strongly.

Micah who had been hobbling as fast as he could, to not slow his friends, stumbled over a thick gnarly root that had been jutting from the earth. He fell to his stomach, his walking stick flying out of his grasp. Kephra stopped and doubled back, helping the jeweler back up, handing the cane back. He spotted it, blood oozing from the wound. In his fall, some of Micah's stitches had popped, the wound reopening in a few places.

"That hurt," Micah grumbled, eying his wound.

Absalom jogged back to Kephra and Micah. "How bad?"

"Some of the stitches popped," Kephra answered, helping Micah upright. "And we don't have enough time to sew his leg again."

Absalom shook his head. "Not now, at least. Maybe tonight." Absalom knelt, allowing Micah to climb on his back, piggy-back style. "This will have to do for now." Micah clung to Absalom's shoulders firmly. Kephra led the way once more.

The day wore on, the Tao soldiers seeming to be ever closer and closer. Kephra knew that a confrontation would come soon and he wondered if they would be able to fend them off, two slaves and a soldier, all half starved and one possibly gravely wounded. He wanted to believe that they could, but deep down, he knew it was unlikely.

If that were to be the case though, Kephra would take as many of the Tao soldiers down with him.

The flat lands of the woods were beginning to give way to rolling hills, covered in trees. They were beginning to near the low lying mountains that surrounded the Taso Basin, a massive plain that took up a large portion of the Sky Kingdom and was known as the breadbasket of the nation, providing almost the country's entire supply of grains and cattle. That was both a good sign and a bad one. The closer to the Taso Basin they were, the more likely chance they would encounter a village and possibly sympathetic villagers willing to assist them. The bad part was that there was a high chance of encountering Tao soldiers or worse, possibly the entire army of the Tao Empire. Deep in his thoughts, the blaziken nearly crashed into a tree, Absalom and Micah behind him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a voice called out from the treetops, mainly, the tree that Kephra had nearly ran into. "A trio of miscreants, perhaps?" Kephra wildly looked around, searching for the source of the voice. "Up here." Kephra looked up, to find a sableye sitting on one of the branches just above Kephra's head, legs dangling over the side, its body mostly obscured in the shadows, the eyes that appeared like diamonds and the gems that studded its body, glinting like pinpricks of light in the darkness. The sableye was a slight figure, a tad larger than most sableyes, Kephra guessed, which was not saying much. The pokemon wore a pair of plain black boots with silver buckles that were dusted with ash. A black leather belt was belted around his waist with a bluish silver buckle, encrusted with small rubies, sapphires and emeralds. The sableye was fiddling with a silver dagger, the hilt encrusted with the same gems that decorated his belt buckle. The sableye was picking something out of his teeth using the dagger. He flicked something out from between his teeth, which landed at Kephra's feet. Curious, the blaziken knelt, only to find the item the sableye had picked out was a shard of malachite. Kephra wasn't too surprised; sableye were known for consuming precious stones as a normal pokemon would devour meat or plants.

"We aren't miscreants," Absalom growled.

"Then why are you running? And in my part of the woods as well." the sableye inquired. It was clearly a male sableye, judging by the timbre and tone of his voice.

When Absalom tried to answer the question, Kephra interceded. "We're slaves and we escaped from the Black Pit Mines. Tao soldiers are chasing us and our friend here is injured." Kephra gestured to Micah who was moaning softly, the reopened wound still bleeding sluggishly. "We need help. Please help us."

The sableye mulled it over. "Hmmm. I'm not very happy that you brought the soldier to my neck of the woods, especially when I'm on important business," the sableye added quietly, too quiet for the trio down below to hear. "Very well, I'll help, but for a price."

"We don't have money," Kephra said.

"I don't take money. Gold and silver is too bitter." The sableye shook his head. His diamond like eyes caught a glimpse of Kephra's necklace, the firehart. "The necklace though, is quite nice."

Kephra's free hand went to the necklace instinctively. "I can't give you this."

"Then I'm afraid I can't help you. I am very sorry and I hope you find help for your friend." The sableye began to climb up into the tree when Kephra held out a hand.

"Wait!" Kephra called out. "The murkrow flies in the forest!" the blaziken blurted out.

"What?" Absalom asked, clearly confused.

The sableye froze mid-step and he sat back down on the branch, looking equal parts shocked, surprised and amused. "Where did you hear that?" he asked suddenly.

"An innkeeper told me that. Five days ago," Kephra said in a rush.

The sableye cocked his head to one side, studying them intensely, the diamond like eyes seeming to glow with an intense light. "How interesting," he mused. "Very well, I will help." He stood up from his position and turned his back to them, waving his hand over one shoulder in a "come" gesture. "Follow me and I will lead you to safety." the figure seemed to vanish in the thick maze of branches. The trio chased after him, using only the rustling noises of the sableye to guide them.

A piercing screech rang through the forest and Kephra swore he saw shadows pursuing them, ghastly figures in the fog. "We better hurry. They're gaining on us!" Kephra said in between pants. Just then, an arrow zipped through the forest, buzzing by on Kephra's left, narrowly missing his back. The shaft thudded itself into a tree trunk, quivering with the force of the blow. Two more flew by and Kephra had an impetus of energy as he strove to catch up with the mysterious sableye. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a Tao soldier through the ragged edges of the fog, riding a scolipede, the massive insect bounding over fallen logs and branches with ease. The rider carried a large crossbow tipped with metal caps. From what he could tell, the monstrous centipede pokemon was encased in armor, with metallic horns extending the creature's natural weaponry and amplifying the strength and power of the horns. He could not see what species was riding on the scolipede's back. The archer riding on the scolipede fired another arrow at Kephra and the blaziken ducked underneath the arrow. In retaliation, Absalom stopped suddenly and pirouetting on his right foot, made a ninety degree turn and spat a gout of flame at the archer and its scolipede. Micah clung on to Absalom's back for dear life as Absalom made the sudden move. The scolipede and rider veered away, trying to avoid Absalom's flame, but the fires managed to lick at the scolipedes' side, blackening its metal barding. The fire though, managed to light up some of the dry kindling, forcing some of the Tao soldiers to slow down and try to put out the flame before it got worse and consumed them.

"Nice job!" Kephra shouted.

"Thank you. I was only trying to force the scolipede away," Absalom admitted sheepishly. "I had forgotten that the woods were so dry this time of year."

"It worked anyway."

About two miles away from the first confrontation, the woods gave way to a clearing at the base of a cliff face, the first true sign they were in the low lying mountains known as the Scarlet Range, the name originating from the reddish sandstone stones that made up most of the range. Kephra's heart sank. The cliff face seemed sheer and unconquerable to cross. The fog was beginning to slowly clear up though, revealing a drab and cloudy day, the clearing covered in patchy areas of fog. They would have to travel alongside the cliff face to find a safer passage. "This way." He pointed with his spear, down the left hand side of the cliff. The jogged alongside the cliff, looking for any sign of the sableye, but the sableye seemed to have retreated.

Eventually, they came across a steep and tall hill, covered liberally in pieces of broken shale the hue of the clouds above, the top of the hill some fifty yards above them. It was an opening in the cliff, wide at the bottom of the hill and narrowing to a fifteen foot gap at the top, revealing what appeared to be a glade on the other side. There was hope yet. The climb would be arduous and taxing, but it was the only way. Kephra began to make his way up the hill, the pieces of shale slipping and crumbling under his feet. Absalom and Micah followed behind him, taking the same route as their friend.

The pieces of shale were sharp and thin, breaking underfoot. Some of the pieces ripped his clothing, others cut into his feet in numerous tiny cuts. He stumbled once or twice, his knee hammering into a large piece. He yelped and tried to stand back up, his knee crying out in pain. He had to keep going, he was ever closer to his goal of regaining the family homestead.

"Stop! In the name of the Tao Empire, you are wanted in the questioning of the slave revolt of Black Pit Mines!" The Tao soldiers had found them. Kephra glanced over his shoulder. There looked to be about a dozen of them, which included a houndoom and manectric heavily armored and a mightyena that appeared to be the leader of the dog pokemon. The speaker was a machoke, clad in the bronze muscle cuirass and high crested helmet that was the symbol of Tao officers.

The trio kept quiet and continued climbing. Absalom caught up to Kephra, who had slowed due to his throbbing knee. "They won't just arrest us," Absalom told him silently.

"I know that," Kephra nodded. "We'll have to fight them. Thankfully, we're pretty high up and it's pretty narrow. They all can't swarm us at once."

"What about Micah?"

"I'm right here," Micah snorted at them. "I can climb, if you two can hold them off."

Kephra sighed. "Alright then." Micah slid off Absalom's back, and with his walking stick in hand, began to make his way up the hill. It was slow going, but at the very least, it freed up Absalom and Kephra to fight. Absalom unsheathed his sword.

"Ready?"

Kephra nodded. "Ready." Kephra readied his spear in both hands.

"In the name of the Tao Empire, put down your weapons and surrender!" The machoke shouted.

"I'd like to see you try and take it from me!" Kephra sneered.

"Kephra, maybe that was a bad idea to taunt the soldiers." Absalom said, swallowing nervously.

"If I'm going to die anyway, then I'll die pissing them off," Kephra laughed, just as the soldiers charged up the hill. Like Kephra and Absalom, they had difficulty making their way up the hill, their trek even more so due to their heavy armor; however, the slick shale mattered little to the mightyena and houndoom, who bounded up the hill with ease.

Absalom spewed another blast of flame, forcing the mightyena to bounce away, but the houndoom, who was a fire type, was resistant to the fire and pounced on Kephra. The houndoom tried to bite at Kephra's throat, but the blaziken managed to deflect the pokemon away with his forearm. Unfortunately though, the houndoom sunk her fangs into Kephra's right arm. The blaziken screamed in agony and attempted to pull the houndoom off, but she wouldn't release her grip. Kephra beat at the pokemon with his free fist, pounding her helm in, until there was an audible crack as the last blow caved her skull in. She released her grip as she sunk to the ground, lifeless. Kephra clutched his bleeding arm, wishing he had something, anything to wrap his arm with, but he had not worn a shirt since his enslavement.

Meanwhile, Absalom was fending off the manectric and mightyena, alternatively swinging his sword and breathing fire at them. Both hound pokemon were bleeding from wounds and burns. The manectric was about to pounce on Absalom's left hand side, where he wielded no weapon, until a piece of shale the size of a dinner plate came flying by and struck the manectric on the side of the head, jerking his head at an unnatural angle. The manectric tumbled away from the scene. The mightyena paused, stunned at the sudden turn of events and Absalom seized the opportunity, sending his sword into the Mightyena's side. It was Micah who had thrown the shale, panting and leaning on his walking stick. The raichu jeweler's leg was bleeding worse now, his lifeblood like bloody red pearls on the pieces of drab shale. He picked up another piece and flung it at an incoming nuzleaf soldier holding a sickle shaped sword called a _kopis. _The nuzleaf, who had been charging Kephra, stumbled backwards as he avoided Micah's missile, falling back down the hill and colliding with another of his companions, a grovyle.

Kephra shifted his spear from his right hand to his left hand, the grip feeling awkward and unwieldy. He fended off the grovyle soldier, who had just recovered from his comrade's stumble. The spear tip caught the top edge of the grovyle's scale armor, sliding in between two plates to pierce the Tao's shoulder, and hitting the artery there.. Kephra yanked the weapon out and deflected a ax blow from a dusclops, sending the weapon away at a wide angle. Kephra sunk the weapon into the dusclops's belly. The dusclops fell back and down the hill.

A harsh screech rose over the din and Kephra was confronted by the scolipede and its rider. The rider, now revealed to be a nidorina, fired an arrow from her crossbow as the scolipede attempted to climb the hill. The bolt whizzed through the air and the stout tip sunk itself into Kephra's right shoulder, and went out the other side. Kephra moaned in agony and sunk to his knees, his right arm now completely useless, rather than just being somewhat useless. The scolipede gave Kephra a nasty grin and began to accelerate its climb, a Rock Climb attack, Kephra noticed, watching the scolipede's legs glow with a white light. The scolipede now began to easily bound over the shale slabs, its head tilted downwards, the helm it wore enhancing its horns. It intended on impaling Kephra. An idea springing to mind. Using his left hand, Kephra braced the butt of the spear against a fairly sturdy pile of rock. He was going to turn the scolipede's momentum against it.

Then a bolt of lightning materialized from the heavens, crashing down just in front of the scolipede, interrupting its charge. The bolt sent shale and dirt flying everywhere in a plume of earth, clouding everyone's vision. The scolipede stumbled backwards, the nidorina yanking and jerking the reins every which way to calm the monster down and to regain control. Micah who had summoned the bolt of lightning from his own person, sunk to the earth, unconscious.

"Micah!" Kephra screamed, scrambling up the hill to be at his side. "Micah!"

"Kephra, there are more coming!" Absalom shouted, climbing up backwards, making sure that his back wasn't turned."And I don't have enough energy to use shoot any more flames. I'll have to fight with my fangs if I want to use my fire."

Kephra hurriedly checked Micah's pulse at his throat and was relieved when he heard a very faint pulse. "He's still alive," he said in a rush. Absalom was right, unfortunately, for the soldiers that managed to survive the first assault began to climb the hill once again, including the scolipede. Its armor was scorched and small tendrils of electricity raced up and down the monstrous beast's barding.

"You're bleeding!" Absalom shouted, pointing to Kephra's bloody shoulder and forearm.

"Yeah. I can't even use the blasted arm." Kephra growled in frustration. "I think that they managed to hit some nerves of muscles or something. The blood lose was making him woozy and his vision was beginning to darken and grow fuzzy at the edges. _"We won't be able to make it,"_ Kephra thought with a heavy heart. _"I'm sorry father," _he thought silently. _"I failed you, and our family home. I'm sorry."_ His vision was now beginning to fade to black and he collapsed to his knees when he swore he saw something fly overhead, something slender and straight, sinking into one of the soldiers. It was black and thin.

_"Arrows?"_ Kephra wondered groggily, seeing more black shadows fly and sink themselves into the flesh of the Tao soldiers. One arrow had struck home in the nidorina's chest and she fell off to one side, releasing the reins of her charger. More arrows found homes in the scolipede's chest, in between the plates of armor it wore. Like a mighty tree falling, the scolipede sank to its knees and tumbled over to one side, head at a weird angle.

Kephra fell backwards, sliding in unconscious when he saw a familiar face, the sableye he had met from earlier.

"Decided to get some help," the sableye said, the very last thing Kephra heard when he sank into the blackness.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Kephra found himself in a world of pale tan. He hadn't had the faintest idea where he was, nor could he recall how he got there, wherever "there" was. He slowly sat upright, wincing as a flash of pain went down his entire right arm. He looked down, to find his entire forearm wrapped in crisp white linen bandages, with small spots of dried, reddish-brown blood. He attempted to rotate his shoulder but found that he had limited mobility. He looked over and realized that his shoulder was bandaged snugly. He remembered now. He had gotten into a fight with some Tao soldiers and he had gotten stabbed and bitten.

"Ow." he groaned, his left hand investigating the wounds. He started to unwrap the bandages on his forearm, revealing multiple puncture wounds, each and every one tidily stitched up and cleansed of any fester that might be lingering. He wrapped the bandage back up and went to the one on his shoulder but found it was too tender to properly inspect. So, he decided to look around his surroundings, in hopes of figuring out where exactly he was. He was lying on a cot, with blankets and a pillow. He took a peek under the sheets and realized that whoever was attending him had given him a fresh set of clothes. Kephra prayed that whoever had been taken care of him had also decided to burn the ragged pieces of fabric that had passed for clothes. A small fold up table was next to him, with a wooden bowl of pale, cool, watery broth inside. A roll of fresh bandages sat next to it, along with a bottle of the mysterious "anti-septic" the inn keeper had used on Micah's injury.

"Micah!" he suddenly shouted, remembering his friend. "Micah!"

"Calm down," an audino entered the tent, carrying a tray of fresh, steaming broth and a small loaf of wheat bread. She looked to be a nurse of some kind. "Your friend is quite alright."

"Is he okay? What about his leg?"

"We managed to find him in time, for the poor thing was close to exhaustion, possibly death. If Rain's soldier's had found him just a minute later, your friend would have bled out."

"How. . How long have I been here?"

"Almost two days."

"And what about my other friend? He's a charmeleon with dark red scales."

"He is being treated for his injuries as well." the audino chirped cheerfully. "His weren't as bad as your though. A few scrapes and bruises, plus we cleaned up the injury on his abdomen."

"He is also currently being questioned by my soldiers." A lucario entered the tent, roughyl shoving the flap aside, wearing a pale green tunic and a darker green cloak with cowl. A unusual shaped sword rested on her left hip, along with a long dagger on her right. She had a shapely feminine figure and Kephra had to avert his gaze, lest she think he was eying her in that way. "Since he was wearing the clothes of a Tao soldiers, naturally we had to question him, just as I'm about to do to you," she said rather abruptly. "Who exactly are you and how did you know the code of the rebels?"

Kephra scowled at her curt behavior. His nails clicked against his uninjured arm. "You should answer my questions first." he growled. "Now."

The lucario stared him down with steely red eyes and Kephra returned the favor, staring back. The audino slowly placed the tray down next to Kephra's cot, taking the cool broth with her and she slowly backed out of the tent. Eventually, the lucario gave Kephra an upturned smirk at the corner of her mouth.

"You have guts, don't you?" she smirked, admiring his tenacity. "Very well then, I'll tell you. You were rescued by the rebels of the Sky Kingdom. You're currently sitting in one of our tents, being tended to for your injuries." She took a seat in a small stool on the other side of the tent and she crossed her arms. "Now, you can answer mine."

Kephra kept quiet, wondering if he should believe this lucario, who had the audacity to barge into the tent and question him like he were some sort of criminal. He could not blame her frankly, considering everything the citizens of the Sky had gone through. It had been too long since the blaziken had been a part of the "real" world. He decided to humor her then. If she was not who she said she was, then Kephra would have given nothing new away by telling her his story.

"My name is Kephra Vulkanus. I used to live on Vulkanus Estates with my family until the Tao army came in and forcibly evicted my family from our ancestral home. My father fought this and as a result, he and my older brother were captured and burned alive at a stake. They did unspeakable things to my mother and they looted my home, taking me as a prisoner. Then, I was a slave working in the Black Pit Mines for over two years." He paused to glance down at his wrists, imagining those heavy dull bronze shackles on his ankles and feet once more. "A few weeks ago, myself, Micah and Absalom, the former soldier, made a plan for a slave revolt and escape the Mines. It worked and we have been running since." He locked eyes with the lucario. "My goal is to get my family homes from the grip of the Black and Whites, so don't stand in my way."

The lucario was quiet for a moment, absorbing all the information Kephra had told her. "So, the rumors are true. The Black Pit Mines have collapsed." she mused to herself. "Well done. You just destroyed the Tao Empire's largest source of iron and copper on this side of the mountains." Kephra said nothing. "So, Absalom is his name then, the charmeleon dressed like a Tao. He wouldn't give us his name."

"He was forced into joining the Tao army." Kephra leapt to his defense. "And he helped us escape, saving our lives and those of countless others. The Tao army considers him a deserter and a traitor now for his actions. If you send him back, they'll court martial him or worse, execute him."

"What made you think that we were going to send him back?"

Kephra's face paled at the realization. "You can't kill him. I won't let you. Micah and I, won't let you." he pointed one claw at her. "He's never even killed a Sky citizen! By The All-Father's hooves, he's only killed his fellow Tao, if you even believe that!"

"You would defend an Tao's honor?" she sneered.

"He's no Tao to me. He's my friend."

The lucario looked murderous for a split second and Kephra wondered if she was going to boldly throw him across the room, for that remark. Suddenly, she tossed her head back, chuckling loudly."Like I said, you have tenacity for a half dead slave!" she fixed him with a steely gaze. "Very well, I will have my men spare your friend; however, in order for him to stay here, he, and you and your friend, must plead his case in front of my father General Tamar Imasu. He would be very intrigued and please to hear of your little incident at the Black Pit Mines."

Kephra's mouth dropped open. "General Tamar Imasu? He's your father?" he gawked at the thought of meeting the General of the Sky Armies.

"Adoptive father." The lucario got up gracefully from her seat. "If you would come with me, we will confer with him now."

"Now?"

"Did I stutter? Come," she barked impatiently halfway out of the tent. "We can't have you lost in the camp."

Kephra slowly got up from his position, his arm aching in protest. He decided to not put any weight on it. He held it close to his chest as he followed her out.

"Am I not allowed to have your name as well?" Kephra asked at her back.

She stopped. "You may call me Rain. Rain Imasu."


	12. Chapter 10: The General

Chapter 10: The General

** So, as the story progresses, more and more names and characters will pop up, many of whom have made up names, with no true origin whatsoever. A few, like Kephra and Micah have names rooted in our terminology, but others, like Tamar Imasu, do not. They're just fake words. Because of this, I have decided to post a pronunciation guide at the beginning of each chapter of the names that will pop up.**

**Tamar Imasu: Tah-mahr, Ii-mah-sue (the pronunciation is based in the Japanese language, even if the words are fake)**

**Rei: Ray**

Rain led him outside, to be greeted with the multicolored tents dotting the landscape like mushrooms after a storm and the rain that happened to be pouring down in a soft drizzle, not enough to make mud out of the earth, but enough to dampen everything it touches, including Kephra. Rain, the lucario, had been smart enough to put the coal up on her cloak, driving the rain out. The blaziken scratched at his arm, which was now in a sling, as he watched the tent dwellers scurry about, in some sort of hurry. None of the soldiers wore the distinctive green tunic that was part of the Sky soldier uniform, Kephra noted. Either they were the mysterious rebels he had heard about in rumors and half truths during his time in the Mine Shafts, or they were hiding their true identity if they were to end up captured by the enemy. They were moving supplies from one area to another and cleaning up debris and detritus that happened to be on the earth.

"What is going on?" he asked her, curious.

"We're making the move to Ft. Karydos."

"Ft. Karydos, I thought that was abandoned."

"It was, until now." Rain replied curtly, even more so when two guards materialized on her left, Absalom in between them. Micah could not make it, for he was still recovering from his injuries. The charmeleon looked dejected and defeated, his tail nothing more than a burning cinder. The members of the charizard line hated rain, for the rain could threaten to extinguish the fire on their tail, killing them. For most fire types, the rain was a nuisance, for the charizard line, it was deadly. Thankfully, the guards had allowed Absalom to wear a sort of cloak, made of fire resistant fabric, on the inside and rain proof fabric on the outside to wear, effectively blocking out the rain. Kephra had a cloak as well, but since he could turn on and shut off the fire of his wrists, he had no need for a cloak that would shut out the rain and be fire proof simultaneously. He actually enjoyed the rain, for it was the first time he felt it, truly felt it and could enjoy it in over two years.

"Where?" Absalom asked.

"Why should I tell you, Tao?" she practically sneered.

"Hey!" Kephra shouted. "Leave him be!"

Rain stopped and spun around, her hands glowing blue. Kephra, despite his wounded arm, fired up his good wrist. The pair stared each other down, the guards and Absalom stand-offish as they waited. Eventually, Kephra allowed the fires to die down on his wrist and brought it back down to his side. "We should be fighting the real enemy, not each other."

Rain held her pose for a heartbeat longer. She relaxed, but only slightly and turned away from Kephra, silent. "This way."

They wove their way through the sea of tents and supplies, until they came across a large red tent the color of fresh blood, making it stand out against the other nearby tents. Outside the tent were two standards. The first was a banner with the legion insignia Kephra did not recognize. The second, he did. It was the standard that all legions were required to bear: The bronze statue of the Skyking Rayquaza, coiled around the haft if the standard. Two guards, a gallade and a skarmory, hovered at the entrance, the skarmory clad in razor sharp steel plating, the gallade wearing metallic extensions on his arms, in addition to his armor.

The flap opened to reveal a samurott, clad in Oriental style armor, wearing not the shell helm that was unique the the species, but instead, he wore an open face helm, made of gently sloping "scales of lacquered metal, flaring outward at each level. The lacquering was a pale blue, made to look like the waves of an ocean. Affixed to the top of the helmet was a pair of horns arcing upwards in a crescent moon shape. These were the color of pearl and had mother-of-pearl inlay. If Kephra recalled from his father's lessons and tales, this style was called a _kabuto_ helmet, the traditional helm of the samurott line. Different families though, would have slight variations in the design and shape.

"General Tamar Imasu," Kephra whispered in awe. So this was Rain's father, the infamous general who successfully and swiftly ended the corsair army that had threatened the Sky Kingdom's coasts nearly fifteen years ago. He was a little gray around his muzzle, and wrinkles lined his eyes and mouth, but he was still as spry and intelligent as ever, judging by his gait and the way his eyes gleamed in the rain.

"So, these are the slaves that my soldiers rescued," he sniffed, not derisively though. His eyes, a pale sea green, studied Kephra for a moment, an odd look going over his face. "I know you from somewhere." General Imasu said softly. "But where?"

"Well General," Kephra began hesitantly. "My father served in the Corsair Campaign fifteen years ago."

Recognition sparked in General Imasu's eyes and he continued."What is your last name, boy?"

"Vulkanus."

"I knew your father," Imasu said with wonder. "He served under me for a while, but got transferred shortly after that. Good man, he was."

"Yes, _was_," Kephra emphasized. The general's face fell at this, but said nothing.

"Well, bring them in. They look rather upset, standing in the rain like this," General Imasu harrumphed and went back inside. Rain led both Absalom and Kephra inside the tent, leaving Absalom's escorts to sit unhappily in the rain.

General Imasu urged them to be seated and he had a server, an wigglytuff, to bring mugs of steaming tea. Absalom had since taken off his water proof cloak, folding ot up and placing it across his lap. A large table dominated the center of the table while low lying seats and cushions lined the sides. A large perch was off to one side, where a fearsome fearow perched, clad in matte black and flexible armor. A hatchet was strapped to a belt, oriented in such a way that the bird could pull it and use it in combat. This was Commander Kratch, Imasu's second-in-command and leader of the flying types that made up the army. He remained silent, his eyes furtively scanning the room, "Now, how exactly, did you end up here, of all places?"

Kephra, holding the hot ceramic cup in his hands, launched into his tale. Ever now and then, General Imasu would interject, asking for details. When Kephra began to regale his tale of the revolt of Black Pit Mines, General Imasu seemed to lean forward in his seat, his expression equal parts intrigued and amazed. General Imasu's tea was all but forgotten as Kephra told of the day of the collapse of the Mines and the battle at the shale hill. The blaziken made sure to emphasize Absalom's role in the incident, to make sure that they did not think of him as a spy or worse.

Kephra finished his tale, his tea now lukewarm, but relaxing nonetheless. Absalom was quiet the entire time, looking down at his tea the entire time, taking sudden interest of the leaves that floated on the top of the pale brown liquid.

General Imasu whistled. "Simply incredible. I have been wanting to take out Black Pit Mines for some time, the only problem being the massive Tao Army sitting on my doorstep. It was not very high on my list of priorities; however, you seemed to solve what was growing to be a huge problem for me, and for that I thank you sincerely. If this campaign had medals, I would hand all three of you one, bureaucrats be demned."

"Absalom helped. Without him, I would probably still be at the Mines." Kephra insisted.

"Yes yes." General Imasu turned his attention to Absalom. "It would seem you were the whole lynchpin of the entire operation," Imasu said to him, garnering the charmeleon's attention. "Tell me a little about yourself."

"Well, there isn't much to tell, General," Absalom coughed. "Kephra pretty much said everything-"

"No no," General Imasu waved a hand, dismissing Absalom's statement. "I meant about yourself, your personal life."

"Oh, I apologize, General." Absalom muttered, chagrined that he hadn't been paying attention. "Well, I was born and raised in the city of Oam, just outside the Sylph pass on the Tao side. I didn't want to be a soldier, I wanted to be an architect, an engineer, like my father. I was apprenticed under an architect by the name of Nikos, when the war came.

"The Tao army demanded that all the male—and some of the females—of a certain age enlist. Those that didn't enlist right away were then conscripted into the Tao Army. I was one of those conscripted. My family, they had some connections within the Tao Army and they tried pleading and pulling strings to keep me from becoming a soldier. It didn't work, unfortunately; they did however, manage to find a place in the army that did not involve combat: The Black Pit Mines. I was assigned to be a guard in the complex, to watch over the slaves and guard the place. It didn't involve fighting, that was until I saw Micah, my neighbor, a slave and then everything changed."

"Tell me," Rain interjected. "Did you ever strike the slaves of the Black Pit Mines?" Absalom hesitated, and Rain pressed on. "Tell me."

"Mind your tongue girl," Kratch finally spoke, clacking his beak sharply at her comment. He swung his head around to Absalom. "Continue, if you can."

He took a deep breath. " Well, to answer Rain's question, I never did like the idea of hitting a slave and I didn't, unless another guard was watching me. Then I only brushed the whip across their shoulders, pretending to hit them hard. It's not difficult to to, pretending to hit someone with the whip. You just have to do it a certain way. It comes with practice unfortunately." Rain scowled, clearly not satisfied with his answer. "I was never a fighter, I never wanted to fight," Absalom said, sounding upset. "But when you're forced to, well. . .it's more difficult to avoid fighting then, huh?" he chuckled weakly.

General Imasu settled back into his seat, one hand fiddling with the hilt of one of his scimitar. The tent fell into an uneasy silence. "He can stay," he finally spoke, ushering in a wave of protests, mainly from Rain.

"How can you? He is a Tao! He is the _enemy_!" she snarled, punctuating her last sentence through gritted teeth, her canines flashing.

"Not all Taos are cut from the same cloth," Imasu stated firmly. Absalom and Kephra shrank back from the confrontation, Kratch a silent watchman. "And he has proven himself, in my eyes. Should he misstep, I will be the first to bring down punishment." Absalom swallowed nervously as Imasu said that. Rain, however, was not satisfied with her father's decision. She swept upright from her seat, her cloak swirling around her, and stormed out of the tent, a dark look marring her face. A saddened expression crossed General Imasu's face.

"I wish she weren't so bitter," he bemoaned, recalling the childhood memories he had with her, a happy little riolu, full of life and spunk. "The war has changed her."

"The war has changed us all," Kephra said, hands in his lap. "General."

"Yes it has." Imasu got up from his chair, his figure towering over them. He turned to Absalom. "I fully expect you to give your utmost to our army. If I believe that you are otherwise, then I will have you swiftly punished. I believe in second chances, do not let me think otherwise." He then turned Kephra. "I expect you to follow the policies and commands of my commanders and you superiors. You are now a soldier of the Sky Army. Report to the supplies commandant and receive your tent and weapons. You are dismissed."

"Yes sir," Absalom promptly exited the tent, wrapping the fire-proof cloak around him to brave the chill and rain. Kephra began to do likewise, when General Imasu reached out, grabbing the blaziken's uninjured arm.

Imasu looked reminiscent when he began. "Your father was a good man and a good soldier to boot. I'm sorry to hear of his passing and the destruction of home. I can only hope that we can return the favor a thousand times over, only to hand their beaten and bloody corpses to The Judge."

Kephra gave the general a wan smile, his face wreathed in shadows and plagued by self-doubt. "Thank you General." Kephra released his arm from General Imasu's grip and plodded out of the tent, using his well hand to pull up the hood over his face.

"The boy is destined for great things, whether he realizes it or not." Imasu remarked, going back to the map.

Absalom greeted Kephra as the blaziken made his way out of the tent. "Well? Did the General say something else to you?"

"Just something about my family. Nothing important really. Come on, let's get our tent and weapons, before somebody has a fit."

"Indeed. I don't feel like getting hanged just yet."

They wove their way through the veritable sea of tents, splashes of color in the drab landscape, the glade and forest around included. They eventually found the tent General Imasu had ordered them to report to The tent was large in comparison to the other tents around, like an oak surrounded by saplings. It was more of a pavilion than a tent, filled nearly to the brim with foodstuffs, medical supplies and whatever else these sky rebels could scrounge up. Kephra smirked to himself as he saw the official symbol of the Tao Empire, stylized patterns of the three dragons arranged artfully so that Kyurem hovered over both of them, stamped in black on many of the crates and barrels The supplies tent was currently void of soldiers, serviced by only a persian. A sableye sat perched on a barrel toward the back, his black leather boots clicking against the wood. He was currently fiddling with a dagger, the same one that Kephra recalled seeing, the hilt which was encrusted with gems.

"Wait," Kephra pointed to him. "You're the one who led us through the woods."

"Indeed I am." the sableye gave a half bow from his seated position. "And you're welcome, by the way, for saving your lives."

"Then why did you abandon us?" Kephra accused him.

"Kephra!" Absalom hissed.

"I have no problem answering that," The sableye sunk the dagger into the wood lid of the barrel twiddling it idly. "If I had not, then you and I would be dead. I merely used my abilities to slip away and warn the nearest party of Sky soldiers of your presence." Kephra remained silent and the sableye continued. "I do admit though, that you put up quite a fight, despite your erm, hindrance." The sableye jabbed at Kephra's bandaged arm. "You fight with the spirit of ten purruglies trapped in a room full of chairs. We could use soldiers like you, or spies. Rei's always looking for spies."

"Um, thank you?"

"The name is Kurai, and should you need me, I will be off, terrifying some poor hapless Tao soldiers." Kurai seemed to melt into the shadows of the pavilion.

"That, was unusual," Absalom admitted.

"That would be Kurai, one of the Sky Kingdom's best spies," the persian explained, moving some inventory around. "He is though, a bit of an unusual one, with a wicked sense of humor."

"Indeed," Kephra turned to the persian. "May we get our supplies?"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Supplies in hand, Kephra and Absalom decided to make a visit to the weapons tent next, then visit Micah, who was still recovering from his injury, from what Absalom told Kephra. The weapons tent was located on the edge of the camp, in an open area, the earth nothing more than muddy slush as warriors battled and clashed, honing their skill, should they need to apply them on the battlefield. A trio of archery dummies stood forlornly at the edge of the muddy field, alone save for a an arrow here and there, the fletching protruding form the burlap sack dummies. Kephra watched one warrior in particular, a zangoose, clad in leather armor, and a metal jagged gauntlet covering the length of hi left arm.

"I've heard of those," Absalom remarked, studying the massive gauntlet. The zangoose did not seemed hampered by the heaviness of the metal; rather, the zangoose danced and moved across the training field with no hindrance, slashing and hacking away. "Some pokemon wear them to enhance their natural weaponry."

"Aye, those are bone-shredders," the weapons master, a flygon, snorted, his head gesturing towards the zangoose. The flygon weapons master sat underneath an awning that jutted from the tent, to keep the rain out as he worked on repairing various weapons and armor pieces that came his way. He spoke with a heavy accent, almost twangy, indicating that he was from the southern regions of the Sky Kingdom. A leather apron was tied around his waist. "They're Tao inventions, made for fighting in the Corsair Campaign, because they were easier to use in close quarters. While we took the idea, the Black and Whites took them to a whole new level." The flygon shifted to his right as he repaired a piece of breastplate, pulling out an arrowhead from the metal, revealing a heavily scarred side, with thick angry scars crisscrossing his thick hide. "One of the Tao officers, a bloody, thrice-demned nidoking got a hold of me at the battle of Sylph Pass with a set of bone shredder armor, if that can be believed. I got out of there alive, but barely. I'll take any soldier with a bone shredder that we can get." the flygon placed the pair of pliers back into his apron. "Now, what can I get for you two?"

"A sword, if you can," Absalom said.

Kephra's eyes caught a long rack resting just inside the tent, where a long row of spears and polearms rested. "What do you have for spears?" his previous spear, the one he wielded at the battle on the shale hill, must have gotten lost in the skirmish, or the Sky soldiers decided to scrap it, seeing how poorly he had fashioned it. The thought brought a pang to the blaziken; he had clearly gotten attached to the weapon.

The flygon's ruby red eyes glinted with eagerness. "I have plenty, young master. I will be more than happy to show them both to you." the weapons master placed the breastplate aside, guiding both of them inside.

The tent was long and rectangular in shaped, filled to the brim with weapons of varying typesand shapes, some unrecognizable to the blaziken and charmeleon. They could only guess the unusual weapons were one brought in by different species of pokemon, for many races of pokemon bore weapons that were unique to their culture and lifestyle, like the curved blade Rain carried, or the armor General Imasu wore.

As the weapons master showed Absalom the vast collections of swords and other bladed implements, Kephra browsed the rack of polearms and spears, fingertips lightly brushing the shafts of each pole. His wounded arm throbbed with every gesture Kephra made, but the blaziken paid it no mind; he just wanted a weapon.

His eyes fell to a spear, about six feet long in the haft, made of a dark stained wood. The spear head was a broad leaf shape a little more than a foot long and six inches wide at the broadest part of the spearhead. The head was made of an unusual silver hued metal, with small veins of a darker coppery colored running through them like rivers of dried blood. The weapon looked ancient somehow, out of place sitting on the racks with the other weapons. Fascinated, Kephra reached out and pulled the spear off the rack, hefting it in his free hand. The spear shaft fitted comfortably in the contours of his grip and he eyed the spear head closer. The veins of coppery metal ran through the metal, not dried blood on the head, as he first suspected.

"Ah, that is an interesting tool," the flygon hovered nearby. "One of our Sky soldiers uncovered it during our first incursion into Ft. Karydos. That spear is clearly old, but there was no sign of rust or aging. It was serviceable, so the Sky soldiers brought it back as a curious trinket. I cleaned it up and put it on the racks. Any fixable weapon is a good weapon to have. Only odd thing was that no one would use it. You're the first to pick it up."

"Really?" Kephra turned the spear in his hands. "I'll take it."

"Good. I think it is a good weapon, myself," the flygon nodded sagely, then fluttered off, to help Absalom find a suitable sword for his needs. Kephra, seeing that he had no need to linger in the tent any longer, wandered outside, where the rain was turning into a faint drizzle, relieving on his feathers and face.

The training field was mostly empty. The zangoose was still going through the motions of a seasoned warrior, earning a glimmer of admiration from Kephra. The drizzle proved no bother for the zangoose, who at last took a break from his training, his eyes glancing over to Kephra.

"Need something?" the zangoose grunted.

"No, just watching." Kephra admitted.

"Well, I don't like an audience, usually." the zangoose reached around his neck, with his ungauntleted hand, adjusting a black bandana around his face.

"Sorry."

The zangoose pointed to the spear. "Are you going to test the weapon out?"

"Well, I won't be able to do too much," Kephra shrugged his injured shoulder, sending a wave of pain down the length of his arm and back. "I might do a couple of things with it."

"Be my guest," the zangoose moved off the field, giving Kephra free rein. Since he could not do nearly as much as he would if he had both arms free, Kephra opted to give the spear a few experimental throws with the weapon, to study its balance and weight. He focused on the centermost target dummy, looking shabby and gloomy in the drizzly weather. Kephra hefted the spear over his left shoulder, holding it straight. He grunted as he tossed it, his other arm burning in agony. The spear wobbled in the air, only to thud into the ground just short of the target. Kephra rumbled in mild disappointment as he sloshed through the muddy field to retrieve the weapon. The spear head gleamed in the rain. The zangoose had found a seat on a pile of crates, arms across his legs, watching Kephra with a keen interest.

"I don't like an audience, usually," Kephra retorted, eliciting a mild bemused expression from the warrior.

Kephra tried throwing the weapon once more, but once again, it landed short of the desired target. He was growing more and more frustrated with himself.

"Your balance is off," the zangoose spoke. "Since you can't use your other arm as a counter balance when you throw, you're going to be off balance and therefore, can't hit your target."

"Well frankly, I can't use this arm, period." Kephra snapped.

"Then I can't help you." the zangoose began to walk away, leaving Kephra standing in the rain, wet, chilled and frustrated. His claws tightened their grip around the haft of the spear. In a sudden impulsive move, Kephra dropped the spear to the earth. Using his free arm, he tore the arm sling off, allowing the white linens to become muddied as they fell to the earth. He flexed and stretched his arm a few times, shrugging off the intense pain that seemed to be growing by the heartbeat, until his whole arm was pounding to the beat of his fluttering heart.

The zangoose caught the flutter of the sling form the corner of his eye and he paused, half turning back around, head over one shoulder. Kephra held the spear in his injured hand and lofted it over his shoulder. The tight muscles clenched together in an angry knot. He steadied his aim, holding his left arm out, the counter weight ad the zangoose had suggested. He jogged forward a few steps and flung it out, his arm screaming in protest. The pain was now so unbearable at this point he sunk to his knees in the muddy field, tears springing to his eyes, clutching his shoulder.

The spear flew straight and true, thudding itself deep into the dummy's chest, the head jutting out the back, sending straw and stuffing to the ground.

Kephra did not hear the congratulatory remarks of the Zangoose, for he had blacked out from the pain.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Kephra found himself, once again, in a tent, this one looking much smaller than the one previous. He sat upright in the cot, taking note that his arm had been bandaged again and placed in a fresh sling. A small lantern burned in the corner of the tent.

"What the?. . ." he trailed off.

"You blacked out," Absalom explained, running his sword blade along a whetstone, the scrapping sound of metal across stone filling the small tent. "Right after you threw your spear. Why do you have to be so impulsive? Who knows what you could have done to your arm."

"I had to prove someone wrong."

"You had to be macho about it, that's what. I brought your spear back too, why I don't know." Absalom said in an exasperated sigh. "Probably since that I heard from one of the soldiers that we'll be moving out to Ft. Karydos soon."

"Sounds like fun." Kephra massaged his injured shoulder, feeling the bundle of muscles just underneath the skin and feathers. He was unsure whether that was scar tissue or just the muscles bundled in a tight knot around the injury. "How's Micah?"

"Doing much better. While you were out, I went by and checked on him. He's doing better, but he's growing restless from having to stay in bed all the time. I heard from him that some soldiers found about his skill with jewelry and are starting to come to him for repairs, so that's good. I think it makes him happy, aside from clubbing pokemon with maces."

"Yes, but if we're going to Ft. Karydos, then he'll have his dose of fighting. Angry little munchkin. Who knew a simple jeweler could be so vicious?"

"Indeed. How could we all be so vicious?"

"That, I do not have an answer to."

"Interesting, considering that you're the most vicious of us. Tell me, what did we do to you?"

"We? Are you talking about the Tao?"

"I may not be one of the bloodthirsty Taos that haunt the nightmares of the Sky citizens, but I am still one, nonetheless."

"I thought you knew."

"I know that they stole your home, your family, but that is it."

"That is all I need. And I'm making sure that they're paying for their deeds a thousand times over, to drag their corpses before the Lord of the Distortion World."

"Is that your reason, your purpose, then? To appear before your enemies as some sort of fiery god of Yengeance, deciding who lives and who dies on your spear?"

"you wouldn't understand. I never had a purpose in life. Not now, not ever."

"Then why not start now? Why not try to find a way to end the war, rather than continuing a one-soldier war against them."

"Because I will not have take away everything in some singular treaty because our Steward is too much of a coward to stand up for himself!" Kephra inhaled deeply, to clear himself. "And besides, until I can put down my spear in peace and reclaim my ancestral home, there will be no peace.

"Not for myself, not for you, and I'm sure not for our two countries."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

** Kurai the Sableye, introduced in the previous chapter, belongs to FirebirdXoX. Edge the Zangoose belongs to Shaydrall. Thank you to you to for allowing me to use your characters!**

**The Corsair Campaign is a minor war that took place about fifteen years before the events of "Skyking". Corsairs from a island chain west of the Sky Kingdom were plaguing the coasts of the Sky Kingdom, The Tao Empire and The Twin Monarchies of Kanjo. The situation had gotten to be so bad that many of the corsairs were forming "armies" of privateer ships to raid the coastlines. The three kingdoms agreed to form an alliance to stop the pirates and they did so, in a year long campaign that sealed General Imasu's fate as the Sky Kingdom's most famous and successful sea faring general.**

** Ironically now, both the Sky Kingdom and The Tao Empire are journeying to the island chain to recruit these corsairs and pirates, offering immunity against war crimes in exchange for captaining privateer ships to be used against their enemies. **

** Bone shredders are the common term for a new weapon. Basically they are armor, made into weapons, to enhance a pokemon natural weaponry. They're usually jagged, made of many joints to promote as much flexibility as possible with many spikes and heavy claw/horn sheaths on them as well. They are very expensive to manufacture, for they have to conform to the pokemon's shape and size, so no two sets of bone shredder armor/weapons are alike.**

** I really like the dynamics Kephra, Absalom and Micah have, so far. Brothers in war, from three different nations. Kephra is the impulsive and vengeful one, Micah, the dreamer and creative one, and Absalom, the level headed one and peace maker.**


	13. Chapter 11: The Fire Reader

Chapter 12: The Fire Reader

The next few days passed by with a flurry that not even Kephra expected. His arm was healing rapidly, to the point where he could now gingerly practice with his spear. Despite its apparent age, and its unusual appearance, the spear worked fantastically, like the spear had been made for him. It was balanced and the spear head was broad and sturdy, able to pierce even the thickest armor. The bite marks on his forearm were now healing to nothing more than small puckered scars. The shoulder however, was taking much longer to heal, considering that according to the medic, he had nearly reopened the wound from throwing the spear a few days ago.

He was growing restless, an uneasy feeling settling into the pit of his chest. Something didn't feel right in the air, and he couldn't quite figure out why and it was going to drive him mad if he did not delve into the source of the feeling.

"You're pacing again," Micah said idly, fiddling with a piece of jewelry. He had recovered enough to reside in the same tent as Absalom and Kephra. The leg was healing well, although Micah will forever walk with a prominent limp. He was repairing small pieces of jewelry now, since many of the rebels discovered his previous occupation. For Kephra and Absalom, to see Micah once again working his craft was a joyous sight to see the raichu had changed almost overnight since he started. One of the Sky soldiers promised Micah that he would find a way to obtain better tools for him.

Kephra paused in mid step, not fully realizing his actions. "I was?"

Absalom nodded, running his blade over a whetstone. "Indeed."

Kephra sighed gustily and sat down heavily on the nearest cot. "Sorry. I've been feeling restless and unsettled lately, like there were insects crawling across my arms. Something is up."

"Maybe if you killed some Tao, you would feel better," Micah joked, before turning to Absalom. "Many pardons."

"No problem."

Kephra let out a sardonic chuckle. "Don't give me any ideas, especially since supposedly the Tao Army is a day's trip from here."

"Yes, he might wipe out an entire army," Micah added, his voice monotone.

Kephra got back up and reached for his spear, the wooden shaft feeling comfortable under his grip. "I'm going for a walk." He grabbed a worn cloak and exited the tent.

Absalom turned to Micah. "You don't think he's really. . ."

Micah snorted. "I've only known Kephra for a little while, and while he may be vengeance incarnate, he would not do something that insane. . .I think."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kephra pulled the hood over his face, to keep the autumn weather at bay. It had stopped raining much to everyone's relief, but the brisk weather still persisted, bringing with it dewy mornings and sharp biting winds. He had worn a thick, drab brown tunic and a pair of breeches. The tunic had first felt odd against his feathers, for it had been over two years since he wore one, but he had gotten used to the feeling quickly, for it provided a barrier against the winds. The spear he carried loosely in his hands, for he was in safe company, among his fellow rebels and soldiers.

He headed towards the edge of camp, where the glade and the forest's edge met. The woods looked dark and foreboding to those who were unused to them, but to the blaziken, they provided a safe shelter, where he could think and brood quietly, without any interruptions. If it were any other time, he would have found a small hallow at the base of a large oak about fifteen yards into the woods, out of the sight of any curious eyes.

This time, was a little different. He eventually found a small clearing, much deeper in the forest, where the trees towered above him, dwarfing his frame. He scouted the edges of the clearing, picking up pieces of kindling and underbrush as he went. He dropped the debris into a pile at the center of the clearing, away from the massive trunks of the trees. While the air was moist with the bite of autumn, Kephra did not want to risk causing a fire.

He lined the kindling with fist sized stones he managed to find. He brought one of his wrists flaring to life. He held it over the kindling and the fires caught an errant branch sticking up from the pile. The forest debris quickly burst into flames, but was contained by the circle of stones. Kephra took a deep breath, inhaling the wood smoke, watching as the smoke curled and twisted about in soft silvery tendrils, forming nameless creatures of fantastic shapes and designs. The scent filled his senses as he peered into the heart of the flames, trying to repeat the series of events that had happened previously.

How was he able to conjure up the powers of a fire reader earlier. Was it intentional, destined to wield the mystical powers of the fire readers? Or was it just a mere fluke, an accident? He squinted further into them, growing frustrated when all he saw were flames, dancing in the ring of stones. No visions, no mysterious figures, nothing

What was it that he heard, the night he read the flames? "Seek me and I will give you all that you wish for. . .And I will bring justice to the land once again." he said aloud, his voice seeming unusually loud in the otherwise silent clearing. The figure in gray, with piercing golden eyes haunted his dreams, alternating with those of the day the Tao soldiers came. The enshrouded figure brought on quite a few restless nights for him.

"Bring justice to the lands. . ." he muttered to himself. Nothing more than a dream, just like the vision had been nothing more than a mere accident.

"Well careful there my friend, lest you decide to burn the entire forest down."

Kephra whirled around from his seated position, reaching for the spear. "Who said that?" he demanded. "Who are you?"

"Nothing more than a friend." Kephra's eyes caught a black shadow nesting in a tree. Upon closer inspection, it was a honchkrow, with a red sash across his abdomen and a blue ribbon in his feathery "hat" atop his head. "Now, if you would place that spear down, before you stab someone's eye out with that thing."

Kephra growled at the back of his throat, the spear still tightly held. "Not until you tell me who you are."

"Very well then. I am Rei, the honorable "Prince of Thieves"," Rei gave an elaborate bow, one wing swept out for emphasis.

"A Prince of Thieves?"

"Well, I used to be, until I was caught. Now, I am a spymaster. I run a network like no one has ever seen." Rei bobbed his head. "It's quite impressive, actually. Honest."

Kephra slowly lowered the spear, but not much. "A spymaster? For us, the Sky army?"

"Yes and yes. But what I would like to know is why you came all the way out in the middle of the woods, only to light a fire and to stare at it for who knows how long?"

Kephra turned back to the flames, watching them intensely for a moment. "If you must know," he began. "I was trying to see if I was truly a fire reader, or that was merely a fluke, brought on by exhaustion." A part of him wondered why he would reveal such an intensely personal revelation to a stranger, but he realized, that pokemon revealed a lot to strangers, no matter what the situation. It was how one was constructed, molded in the image of the All-Father. One dud not have to worry about the trust of a stranger? What did they have to gain, spreading secrets entrusted to them?

Rei's eyes widened. "A fire reader? You are growing more and more interesting by the minute. You've become quite the famous little blaziken." he clacked his beak sharply, clearly impressed.

"But as I said, it was probably just a fluke, a mistake."

"The All-Father never makes a mistake." Rei argued, his mood serious. "To be a fire reader, well, I have never seen one myself, but my grandfather once knew a fire reader, a magmar, if I recall correctly."

Kephra snorted, but then stopped. "Yes—wait, what do you mean, famous?"

"Word has spread that you were the one who helped take out the entire Black Pit Mines operation and those Tao soldiers pursuing you. Even though you were wounded and outnumbered, you still fought with the spirit of ten soldiers!"

"That is what everybody keeps telling me," Kephra admitted reluctantly.

"Yes. Well, I must be off, defying the Tao Empire's whims and what not." Rei bowed once again and flew away, sending dying leaves everywhere, forcing Kephra to shield the fire, too keep the honchkrow from accidentally putting them out, or worse, spreading them. He began to watch them once more, gazing hard into the heart of the campfire, until he heard Rei's disembodied voice.

"It would be best if you just relax!" he offered.

Kephra started, his heart racing, but he calmed himself and went back to the flames, allowing his body to release the tension in his muscles,slowly, the muscles unused to such an action. He opened his mind, taking note of the lackadaisical shapes that were born in the flames. The world seemed to fade into a black haze, the tress becoming nothing more than vague shadows, the night sky vanishing into eternity. It was just Kephra and the small fire at his feet. Even his weapon was forgotten.

Then, in the fires, the amorphous shapes began to coalesce into more solid, recognizable forms. A thought came up in the back of his mind. _"I'm reading the fire,"_ he took note, and the thought vanished from his mind, keeping distractions at a minimum.

First, a building built in the dusty red cliffs of a valley. The building was stout, the gray stones aged and weathered. Kephra could make out parapets and the shadows of towers. There was a gate too, but that, like the rest, was now a pile of debris faintly resembling what it once was. This must be Ft. Karydos Kephra realized. Then, the fort seemed to go back in time, as he watched the fortress grow and expand, the stones reassembling themselves. He saw seven on one of the walls. They each represented the seven types of elemental alchemy: fire, water, earth, air, lightning, ice and Lyfe/Anti-Lyfe, Kephra drawing on the wealth of information given to him by his mother. They all carried weapons, each one different and fitting the user. Kephra's heart skipped a beat when he saw a spear looking remarkably like his, clenched in the hands of the fire type. At the foot of the fortress were monstrous creatures, not even close to resembling any pokemon Kephra knew. They were clawing and mewling, laying siege to the fortress, and the seven soldiers fought back. They must have been the only soldiers left to defend the fortress, Kephra thought.

Then, the vision changed rapidly, to a series of catacombs, ancient carvings and paintings etched into the rock. A bubbling spring laid at the catacomb. The stone looked familiar, ruddy red in the torchlight.

As he tried to make sense of the catacombs and the ancient etchings, Kephra's head whirled as the vision tore him away, only to see a temple nestled in some trees. Vegetation liberally covered the temple, from vines draping from the roof and curling around the pillars, to flowers and other miscellaneous plants peeping from every nook and cranny. There was a small squat stone bench near the temple's entrance and a robed figure, clad in gray, sat, holding a single, lush, pink hued, pink petaled flower. The figure raised his head, to lock eyes with Kephra. It was the same figure as before.

_"So, we meet again, Fire Reader."_

"Wait, how can you see me?" Kephra asked the vision.

_"I am one with many gifts, one of which being to see those who are scrying me." _the figure nodded. _"Do you come, seeking more answers?" _

"I'm sure you know what I want."

_"But of course, you desire for peace, for your home to be restored to what it once was. I can give you these things, if you can find me."_

"But how can I find you! I don't even know who or what you are!"

_"I am the real solution to the war. The harbinger and the peacemaker. I wield the power of one in one hand," _ the robed figure held the flower in his palm-clawed and scaly, Kephra noticed, and frost formed on the flower, spreading from the heart of the plant. The flower seemed to wither and curl in on itself, dying from the cold snap. _"And the other in the other hand."_ he transferred the dying flower to his other hand and the frost receded, retreated. The flower opened once more, looking as vibrant as it did before, when the last of the frost died away.

_"Seek me and I will give you everything. . ."_

"Wait!" Kephra shouted, one hand extended.The vision faded away and Kephra found himself back in the glade, the fire beginning to die into embers.

"Who are you?" he whispered to the flames, bittersweet about the whole experience. On one hand, he was elated, upon discovering that he was indeed a fire reader, but on the other hand, he was growing more frustrated with the mysterious stranger in gray. He would have to just wait and see, to see what else the figure had in store for him. He began to get up from his seated position, stretching his legs and picking up his spear from the forest floor, when he caught the glowing red eyes of the watcher in the trees. Her lupine face was unmistakable.

"Rain."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Rain wandered the depths of the forest, to clear her mind. The past few days were growing more and more stressful, as she and her father were making plans for the move to Ft. Karydos. She was also planning to spring another raid on the Tao army, this time taking out many of the Tao siege engines, making it difficult to assault the fort. The question was who to bring with her and how should the raid go down. These things were always difficult to plan.

The woody scent of smoke wafted across her nostrils. It was an uncommon phenomenon for a fire to be burning at this time of year, for the woods were saturated with rain and fog, preventing a fire from springing up. A forest fire would be disastrous for the Sky army at this point in the campaign. So, led by curiosity, she decided to follow the scent, using her sense of smell and her powers of Aura. She closed her eyes, revealing a world absolutely bursting with Aura. All sources of life, from plants to farm animals to more sentient beings such as herself, possessed Aura at the core of their beings. In order to discern one form of life from another, different things had different "patterns" of Aura, differing from one form of life to another. All plants had one type of pattern, with minimal variations, while all farm animals had a different pattern.

Using this to her advantage, Rain picked her way through the forest, towards a vibrant spark of life, sitting in the center of a clearing. As she came to the clearing, Rain opened her eyes and the various patterns of Aura vanished. At the heart of the clearing was a small flame, and a blaziken perched next to it, his eyes glassy as he peered into the fire. The figure was unmistakable: it was Kephra, the former slave who had brought down Black Pit Mines. He was unresponsive, but his mouth was moving. She could barely make the out. Why was he talking to the fire? While many different types had different customs—her father would toss a golden arics into a body of water, whether it was the ocean or a creek— she had never heard of a fire type talking to a fire. It was odd, to say the least.

Then, the blaziken shouted, one hand extended towards the flames. "Wait!" he shouted, shattering the silence. Rain nearly jumped at his sudden movement. "Who are you!" That was even stranger, in Rain's eyes. Then she made the connection: he must have been referring to a vision, she thought.

"A fire reader?" she asked herself. She made a move to step inside the clearing, until the blaziken stood up, his blue-green eyes catching hers. She had to admit, he was handsome for a member of his species, with an angular face, more so than other blazikens. His eyes were arresting, a pale blue-green, with darker rings around the edge of the iris. He was tall, towering over her. The spear clenched in his hand made him appear to be some god of war, the hood over his face, highlighted in harsh lights and shadows from the dying fire. She seemed to be caught in his gaze, one so cold and hard eyes that had seen more than any other soldier would wish to in ten lifetimes.

"Rain." he said simply.

"Kephra," she replied. She stepped into the clearing. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you." Kephra crossed his arms, the cloak enveloping his body as a gust of wind blew.

"I came to think," Rain said.

"As did I."

The glade fell into silence as they stared each other down, challenging each other with their gazes, bright red and pale blue-green. Rain spoke at last, breaking the uneasy silence. "You're a fire reader aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?" The blaziken sounded uneasy, like a child whose secret had been exposed.

"You were staring into the fire, your eyes glassy. You looked like you were talking to it, and then you shouted at it."

Kephra turned his head away. "So it would appear that yes, I am a fire reader. I only found this out recently, during my escape from the Mines."

"Isn't that a rare ability?"

"From what I heard, which is only shreds of rumors and half truths, being a fire reader is a rare power."

"That is. . .interesting," Rain slowly admitted. "You seem to be growing more and more intriguing by the minute."

"I will take that as a compliment," Kephra chuckled. "Now, what are you doing here?"

"I am planning another mission," she said, wondering why she would reveal her plans to this. . .this blaziken of all things. "I intend to destroy the Tao's siege engines, to prevent them from harming our fortress."

"Excellent plan, until they decide to rebuild them anew." he said sarcastically.

"Then I will destroy those as well."

". . .Then I ask to join you in this mission."

His barked out request took her aback. "Why?"

"You want me to prove my worth, so I will."

"What makes you think that you need to prove your worth to me?"

"It was written plainly on your face when we first met. You didn't like what your father said, so I intend to prove you wrong. I have every reason to kill every single one of those Taos as much as you do, whatever that may be."

"My reasons are none of your concern. Besides," she added. "If you wish to destroy those Taos, then why not that Tao charmeleon?"

Kephra paused. "I do not see him as a Tao. He saved my life. He may be born a Tao, but he is not one at heart."

"Just like not every Sky soldier is fighting for us," Rain said quietly, too quietly for the fire type to overhear. Why did her past have to haunt her so much, and at the most inopportune time?

"Very well," Rain agreed at last. "You may join me. But I want your Tao friend, the charmeleon to join us as well, to prove his loyalty."

Kephra glowered at her demands, but he relented. "I will ask him," he conceded. "But he has no need to prove his loyalty. Isn't killing his fellow soldiers at the Mines good enough for you?"

"Not until I see it for myself."

"Fine." Kephra glanced down at the dying fire and he stomped on it, sending ashes and embers everywhere, extinguishing the campfire. The clearing was enshrouded in darkness once more, until the blaziken lit his wrist, acting as a makeshift torch. He inhaled deeply, before asking. "I would appreciate it if you do not tell anyone of my fire reading skills."

"And why not?"

"Because I do not want to be seen as someone more than I actually am." Kephra brushed past her, into the forest. "Good evening, Rain."

Rain stood in the clearing for a beat, until she spun on her heel, following his fiery wrist, using it like a beacon into the night.

**Kephra doesn't really like Rain much now does he? But he has reasons to dislike her, but I think it is mostly because of her apparent dislike to Absalom. Micah's she neutral towards, but you can't **_**really**_** dislike Micah. It's like trying to hate kittens or something lol.**


	14. Chapter 12: Family Ties

Chapter 12: Family Ties

**Pronunciation:**

**Rhion: Rii-ohn**

**Kratch: Like "scratch", but with a "K".**

**Kraxas: Kraa-zas**

** I do apologize for the wretchedly long wait and I'm sure many of you are willing to draw and quarter me for it. I would make excuses, but really, it is only because I'm near the end of another story and I'm hoping to get it finished relatively soon, in addition to a lot of stressful schoolwork as a Biology major. Thankfully, this story is gaining a lot of momentum as well, so that's the good news for you guys. I hope this chapter makes up for it, somewhat. :D**

General Rufus Tiber was _not_ a pleased general.

In fact, he was furious.

He crumpled the sheet of parchment in his thick, meaty hands. He tossed it into the small campfire burning in a small wood stove in the corner of his tent. To keep the smoke from blowing inside, the stove had a smokestack protruding through the roof of his tent."How could this happen!" he raged, stomping around the tent, knocking things aside with his muscular forearms. "How could my soldiers have been so_ stupid_! Incompetent, moronic, All-Father thrice-demned, sons of cows!"

Siegfried sat in a corner of the the tent, making himself as small as possible, to avoid the emboar's wrath. Granted, Siegfried could stop the General with merely a thought; after all, he possessed a type advantage, but he was not in the mood to be savagely beaten into a pulp. The general was not wearing his armor at the moment; instead, he bore a blood red tunic that went to his knees and a black cape with a golden underbelly.

He had received a report from a hapless messenger that a handful of slaves had taken out the Tao Empire's main source of metal ore during their campaign, the Black Pit Mines. One of the soldiers had escape the onslaught and managed to pen a letter to General Rufus Tiber. The fact that he lost valuable soldiers and supplies enraged the general. Now, he would have to divert valuable resources to recapture the mining complex, if he were to continue to obtain metal ores from the mountain depths. But now he was in a midst of a campaign to push out of the Taso Valley and into the western parts of the Sky Kingdom and he intended to do so with as much force behind him as possible, like a thousand hammers striking a single anvil at once, completely overwhelming whatever was left of the Sky army, forcing them to retreat into their holes, like the trash they were.

And now he had to make a decision: should he send soldiers to recapture the Black Pit Mines, especially when winter is so close, or should he focus on the campaign at hand?

"General, if I may speak?" Siegfried offered meekly.

General Tiber stopped raging and whirled around to face Siegfried, his cloak billowing around him in a gold and black fury. "What!" he snarled.

"May I suggest that we use one of the Legions arriving and diverting them to the mountains. The Legions are already near there, so why not send one of them to recapture it? Their vast amounts of resources will surely destroy any opposition that stands in their path. Then, they can make the trip back down, rather than sending soldiers northward, towards the oncoming winter weather. The Legions would be going ahead of the storms."

General Tiber studied the alchemist, his eyes veiled with red in rage. It was clear to Siegfried that he was not thinking straight. "What makes you think," he began calmly, "That I haven't thought of _that_!" Siegfried shrank back from the froth and spittle flying off the pokemon's tusks. His rage was on the verge of becoming unstoppable. Siegfried was now calculating numerous scenarios, to either avoid his rage completely, or to put a stop to it, using his mental facilities. Both scenarios sounded feasible at the moment.

"I apologize, General," Siegfried shrank back, praying that General Tiber would not resort to violence to calm himself. Siegfried was the only one present in the room, meaning that if anything, he would end up receiving the brunt of the emboar's wrath. All he had for a weapon on him was a small curved dagger and his staff, both of which would do very little against the general's bulk and savagery. He could use his psychic powers, to put a stop to his impeding rampage, but the alchemist guessed that the Emperors would be very displeased to hear that Siegfried had tampered with the general's mind. There was little Siegfried could do.

But then, just as General Tiber's temper came to a roiling boil, he simmered down, breathing heavily, hands still clenching and unclenching. He finally spoke, his voice raspy from losing his temper. "Send a messenger to the 49th Legion that is arriving for reinforcements. They have a new mission in mind."

Siegfried nodded curtly and scampered out as quickly as he could, tripping over an errant piece of furniture as his cloak and robes flew about him. General Rufus Tiber laughed as the trailing edge of Siegfried's cloak zipped out. "Sniveling little coward," he chuckled darkly to himself. "Alchemy is a useless science, practicing in dark alleyways and hidey-holes. Only the sword is the true force around here, to deal with these Sky savages." He picked up his massive, double bladed ax, hefting it easily in one hand, as easily as a butcher could handle a cleaver. He sneered, picturing the note the messenger had passed onto him.

"I know you were behind this, Imasu. And once I get my hands around you, I will make you wish that you never became a soldier." He drove one side of the ax into the table closest to him. The table was nearly cleaved in half as the metal sunk into the wood.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The days passed by in a blur for Absalom. First, he had to deal with Sky soldiers seeming to doubt his every move, thinking him as a traitor in their midst—which he was not-, then he had to deal with two injured friends, one of which was stubbornly refusing to allow himself to rest and heal, instead, going out to train with his unusual spear. And on top of that, the entire army was moving to Ft. Karydos, only shortly after he and his friends arrived. At this point, the charmeleon was running on pure adrenaline.

There was another matter concerning him though, one much more personal:

His sister, Rhion.

Rhion was his older sister, a charizard and an officer in the Tao Army. Since joining the Sky rebellion, he was growing worried that he would have to face his sister in combat, a fear that was becoming more and more realized. He didn't want to fight her, but this was a cause he truly believed in, a feeling that made him feel more complete.

But what about his sister?

He couldn't stand the thought of fighting her—for she would easily outmuscle and outmaneuver him—nor could he imagine any of his fellow soldiers or friends face off against her either.

Rhion loved the idea of fighting. While he was more studious in his younger years, trailing behind his father like a baby ducklett, Rhion ran around with some of the older boys on their street, beating them easily with a wooden sword and shield. Alitair, her twin brother, would play catch-up to her. She willingly signed up to join the Tao army a few years before the conflict and was quickly promoted to an officer ranking in one of the legions. Her parents and younger brother had never been more proud. But the shiny veneer of combat wore off as she was called to participate in the invasion of the Sky Kingdom. The letters she wrote home often expressed distaste over lording over the Sky soldiers, beating them at every turn. She disliked how the other officers treated the Sky soldiers like they were nothing more than slaves—lower than slaves, for slaves were actually useful, Rhion had wrote in her letter. She liked to fight, but not like that. She wanted to defend her Empire from threats, like the Corsair Campaign, not savagely beating her fellow neighbors.

As Absalom mulled over his thoughts, an idea occurred to him.

What if he somehow found a way to convince his sister to join his side?

The idea seemed appealing, but the more he thought it over, the more he realized that Rhion joining his side meant deserting the Tao Army and essentially, betraying them. Rhion would sooner hang herself than do such a thing.

Absalom sighed and pulled out his issued sword. He was the only one in the tent at the moment—Kephra was off being Kephra and Micah was on the other side of the camp, picking up some supplies for his craft and other things that Absalom did not know of. He went through the motions of sword fighting, recalling faintly what Rhion had taught him, during her trips back home. It wasn't much, for Absalom did not desire to be like her, but he did so anyway, to keep his sister happy. Family was family, especially in these arduous, trying times.

He mulled over his options, going through the motions of the weapon in his hands. The blade flashed and shone in the lantern light. The more he considered his choices, the more the idea of appealing to his sister, swaying her to do the right thing, was pleasing. Caught up in his own thoughts, the tip of his sword flicked across an edge of his small table next to his cot. It caught on a piece of apple, sending it flying to areas unknown. Absalom flushed in chagrin, even though there was no one in the tent with him. He sheathed the sword and made his decision. He began to exit the tent, sticking his head out of the flap to eye the weather, making note of the heavy clouds overhead. According to the dragonair soldier who also doubled as their weather scout, there would be cloud cover, but no sign of rain, for the clouds were not "low enough", whatever that meant.

The air was brisk, with a frosty bite, so Absalom decided to grab his fire and rain proof cloak, just in case. Yes, he was a fire type and his inner fire would keep him warm, but the air was still cold across his scaly, pebbled skin, making him uncomfortable. He headed out towards General Imasu's tent, keeping a close eye out for Kephra and Micah, should they return and find him missing.

"Absalom, what are you doing out?" It was Micah, with two packs strapped across his back. The raichu jeweler had a mace tucked in the belt of his red tunic. Absalom wasn't too surprised; at the uprising of Black Pit Mines, that was his preferred weapon of choice. It was a pretty simple weapon to use, all it took was bashing pokemon's heads in, really.

"I was going to talk to General Imasu." Absalom pulled the cloak tighter around his person. "Not much to it."

Micah eyed him suspiciously. Absalom was sounding evasive and unwilling to divulge the entire truth. "I'm not so sure about that."

Absalom sighed. He knew that Micah would not believe him. "I tell you later, okay?"

"Sure. I have to drop these off anyway. I have a toxicroak wanting me to fix her mother's brooch. Apparently some of the filigree bordering has been destroyed, so I'm creating a new filigree border using what is left." Micah gestured to his packs. "And I gotta drop these off. Anybody up for mutton stew tonight?"

"Very much so in this cold weather." Absalom waved to Micah. "I'll see you soon." They parted ways, Micah to their tent, and Absalom to General Imasu's tent. It wasn't too difficult to find it, for in all its grandeur—that Imsau did _not_ enjoy—it stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb in a sea of drab beige and brown tents. Two guards stood watch, an exploud and a ivysaur. "Is General Imasu in at the moment?"

"Why do you ask, Tao?" The ivysaur sniped.

The exploud prodded the ivysaur with the butt of his poleaxe, a massive halberd that only the exploud was seemingly able to wield. "Be polite. In case you managed to obtain amnesia within the past few months, I was born a Tao was well."

"You were?" Absalom asked.

The exploud thumped his fist against the scale armor he wore on his chest. "Yessir, I was. Born and raised near the eastern city of Viber. Then I moved here."

"Huh, my parents once visited Viber. I've never been there myself. But to my previous question: Is General Imasu in at the moment?"

"Yes he is," the ivysaur said, licking his lips, sounded more subdued than earlier.

"May I go and speak with him? I have some urgent matters to discuss with him."

"I'll go and check to see if he is in the mood for entertaining guests." As the ivysaur made his way, the exploud turned to Absalom.

"Where are you from?"

"Oam. My father was an architect/engineer there. I'm only here because of the Tao conscription."

"Ah yes, awful stuff. To have a conscription like that means that the Empire is desperate."

"Or they want to simply get this whole ordeal over as quickly as they can, overwhelm the Sky forces."

"Which they did pretty easy at the slaughter at Titus. But of course, that wouldn't have happened if one of our own didn't betray the entire army."

That piqued Absalom's curiosity. "I don't recall that." There were always stories and tales spun during his days as a soldier at the Mines, birthed by the news on the front and fueled to outrageous proportions by drunken Tao soldiers bragging. But the story of the battle of Titus did not ring true in his memory. "What happened?"

"One of our own, a mienshao by the name of Kraxas decided that he was going to trade in the entire position of the Sky army, in addition to some other information pertinent to the war, all for the chance for a position in the Tao administration and a bag of golden arics and other treasures that would make any minor landholder drool with greed. But the even bigger rumor," the exploud leaned in. "Was that Kraxas was Rain's lover and that she has vowed to destroy him the next chance she had."

Absalom whistled, it was no wonder she was angered when he, Micah and Kephra arrived. She was afraid that Absalom would end up becoming a traitor, or worse. "That is awful."

"Yes, most of the army got obliterated once General Tiber attacked us from the rear. Thankfully, General Imasu had escaped, otherwise, none of us would be here, but rather in chains."

The ivysaur's head poked out from General Imasu's tent. "You may enter now. General Imasu will see you." The ivysaur waddled out as Absalom entered.

Absalom found General Imasu leaning over a map of the region of the Taso Valley, with Ft. Karydos in impressive detail. Next to General Imasu was a older fearow. The long beak had a deep gouge going across the entire length of the beak. A helmet made of blackened, matte metal, sat perched on his head, giving him a fierce, predatory look. More black armor covered his body, lightweight, to allow for greater maneuverability. The fearow wore a pair of gauntlets over his talons, with jagged edges and long, metal claws. A slender sword was jammed in a sheath, specially designed to allow the fearow to pull it out and sheath it when necessary. His icy black irises, like shiny river pebbles, stared Absalom down.

"General Imasu," Absalom saluted.

"Ah yes, Absalom," General Imasu acknowledged. "This is my second in command, Commander Kratch."

"How do you do, Commander?" Absalom offered a clawed hand to shake. Kratch gazed at the hand, extended, and finally offered a wing.

"I am doing as well as I can be in this weather." Kratch stated.

"Yes, I was never one for this weather myself," Absalom sympathized. "Being a fire-type and all."

"I would hate to interrupt this lovely conversation," Imasu said. "But why is it that you have taken it upon yourself to come down during an important, tactical meeting. I am a very busy samurott and general."

"Well," Absalom sighed. "It is about my sister. You see, she is an officer in the Tao Army, the 71st Legion, if I remember correctly-"

"Which is one of the Legions stationed here." Kratch interrupted.

Absalom nodded. "Yes, I know. Rhion used to send me letters, until I was forced to join and was then shipped up to Black Pit Mines."

"And your point is?-" General Imasu asked impatiently.

"I can't stand the idea of being on the other side of the battlefield from her, knowing that maybe, just maybe, I will fight her one day soon." Absalom swallowed nervously, seeing General Imasu's red eyes and Commander Kratch's black ones, scrutinizing him and his every word. "I want to rescue her and bring her back here." he finished quickly.

"You mean kidnapping a Tao officer." Imasu corrected.

"Just before I left for the Mines, Rhion sent one last letter, one describing the deplorable ways of the Tao soldiers, regarding the Sky citizens. I think that, if swayed just enough, she could join our side."

"You're talking about a Tao officer here," Imasu said, whiskers twitching ever so slightly. "It would also require spies, my soldiers and other resources in this operation you are wanting. So much work for only one soldier."

Commander Kratch coughed, clearing his throat and getting the attention of the room. "If I may speak, General Imasu. I understand your pain, Absalom. I would not stand for fighting against my nest mates, to face them on the other side of the battlefield." He turned to General Imasu, the lantern light reflecting against his slender, scarred beak. "To have a Tao officer on our side of the field would be immensely valuable, for they would intimately know the inside and out of Tao formations and machinations. To have her on our side would prove extremely beneficial,"

Imasu frowned. "It would expend too much of our energies just for one soldier."

"I would have no problem with using one of my own units." Kratch said.

Imasu scowled and turned his eyes to the map, quiet, a single claw tapping the parchment paper. Kratch and Absalom waited for a few minutes for the samurott to finally speak. Absalom was wringing the hem of his tunic, apprehensive. General Imasu sighed. "As much as I would not wish to do it, I will grant permission to allow you to try and sway your sister to our side; however, I decide how it goes. Understand?"

"Yes," Absalom said, choking with elation. "Thank you."

"You may thank me once we get your sibling in our camp. Now, I will send a small of soldiers, and one messenger. The messenger will try and persuade your sister, and the soldiers are on standby, should the Tao soldiers decide to pursue us. I need you to write a letter, pleading for her to join us. Then the messenger will deliver it to your sister in the Tao camp."

"But why not me?" Absalom asked.

"Because, from what my spies have told me, the Tao soldiers have discovered the downfall of the Black Pit Mines, plus information about the instigators of the conflict. The information is not specific, but the last thing I want is for you to be captured for your connection to the Black Pit Mines. I have no desires on losing a valuable soldier, or worse." The last part of Imasu's explanation hung in the air, and Absalom knew what he meant, those words not said.

_"He is afraid that I would be tortured into revealing the remnants of the Sky Army,"_ he thought. _"Maybe he thinks I'll be the next Kraxas._ I understand, General."

"Very good," General Tamar Imasu nodded. "Now, be off and write your letter, I expect to have it by tonight."

"Thank you General, for allowing this to happen."

"Family is family, the most important thing in the world. That is something we cannot argue against. You are dismissed."

Absalom saluted and began to make his leave, when Kratch, who had been silent for the latter part of the exchange, spoke up. "General, what if Rhion is suspicious of the letter, and does not take it at face value?"

"You mean, if she doesn't believe it was actually from Absalom and it is a trap?"

"Yes General."

"You bring up an excellent point. Absalom, do you and your sister have a certain, "code", perhaps? Like a personal story between you two or a secret that only you two know?"

"Why do you ask?"

"So we have indisputable evidence, when we confront Rhion with the letter."

"Alright." Absalom thought it over for a moment, before a memory sprang to mind. "Well, there was this one time, Rhion and I were playing in the streets and we got very hungry and lost. We wandered for a while until we came across a bakery. We managed to convince the baker to let us have a piece of raspberry pie. Rhion managed to get sticky pie innards all over her new dress that mom had gotten her. If you use that story, she'll know it was me. I'll give you more details later."

"That would do excellently," General Imasu said, pleased. "_Now_ You're dismissed."

Absalom saluted for the second time today. "Thank you again, General." He smartly exited the tent, striving hard to contain the spring in his step. When he left, General Imasu turned to Commander Kratch.

"Well, I hope you're happy. This was your idea."

The wrinkles around Commander Kratch's eyes crinkled as he gave the general the avian equivalent of a smug grin. "I can assure you General, that this will be a highly successful mission."

"I can only hope so."


End file.
